Pinnacle Foods Group LLC Reports Data Breach; Individuals in Multiple States Could Be Affected

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pinnacle Foods Group LLC, a producer, marketer and distributor of branded food products, today announced that the personal information of up to 1,818 individuals in up to 13 states plus Mexico may have been affected by a theft of a company laptop from an employee’s home.

Pinnacle Foods learned that an employee’s laptop was stolen from her home in Clinton, Wis. on October 11, 2012. Company operations and systems were not involved; the breach affected only information residing on the stolen laptop, which was password protected, —including names, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, credit card numbers, and/or personal information.

Pinnacle Foods is working to ensure its systems are secure and protected from possible intrusions. Currently, the company is unaware of any incidents in which the data that may be available on the stolen laptop was actually used by an unauthorized party. Individuals who believe their information may have been exposed should contact the company at [phone] or [e-mail].

Pinnacle Foods is making every effort to directly contact each individual whose information may have been exposed, including employees, former employees, and employees who applied for employment at Pinnacle’s Darien, Wis. location however, all affected are advised to take the following steps to protect against the possibility of identity theft:

• Place a fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert is a free service that tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. You may contact any one of the three major credit bureaus identified below. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts. Free credit reports from all three bureaus will then be sent to you automatically for your review.

Equifax	Experian	TransUnion
800-525-6285	888-397-3742	800-680-7289
P.O. Box 740241	P.O. Box 2002	TransUnion Fraud Victim
Atlanta, GA	Allen, TX 75013	Assistance Department
30374-0241	www.experian.com	P.O. Box 6790
www.equifax.com		Fullerton, CA 92834
		www.transunion.com

• Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check your credit reports periodically. Victim information sometimes is held for use or shared among a group of thieves at different times. Checking your credit reports periodically can help you spot problems and address them quickly. You should also review your account statements regularly.
• Under federal law, you are entitled to a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting agencies listed above. To request this free annual disclosure you may contact the Central Source on-line at www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free [phone]. Alternatively, you may call the reporting agencies directly at the numbers above or visit their websites to order your free credit reports.
• If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or account statements or have reason to believe your information is being misused, contact local law enforcement and file a police report. Be sure to obtain a copy of the report; many creditors will request the information it contains. You also should file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or at 1-877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338). Your complaint will be added to the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, where it will be accessible to law enforcers for their investigations. You may also contact the FTC by mail at 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.
• A copy of Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft, a comprehensive guide from the FTC to help you guard against and deal with identity theft, is available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/data/idt.shtm. You can also obtain information from any of the credit bureaus listed above or the FTC about fraud alerts, security freezes and preventing identity theft. North Carolina residents may also contact the North Carolina Attorney General’s office about preventing identity theft at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, by calling [phone] or at http://www.ncdoj.gov/About-DOJ/DOJ-Contact-Information.aspx.

About Pinnacle Foods Group LLC

Millions of times a day in more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands. Pinnacle Foods is a Top 1000 Company ranked on Fortune Magazine’s 2011 Top 1000 companies list. We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, our business employs an average of 4,300 employees. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 8 out of 12 major category segments in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages Leadership brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® shelf-stable pickles and Mrs. Butterworth's® and Log Cabin® table syrups and Foundation brands such as Armour® canned meats, Brooks® and Nalley® chili and chili ingredients, Comstock® and Wilderness® pie and pastry fillings and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages Leadership brands such as Birds Eye®, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie's®, and Fresh like® vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® complete bagged meals and Van de Kamp's® and Mrs. Paul's® seafood and Foundation brands such as Lender's® bagels, Celeste® pizza, Hungry-Man® dinners and entrées and Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts. Our Specialty Foods Division manages Tim's Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips, Erin’s® Popcorn, Snyder of Berlin® and Husman's® in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at http://www.pinnaclefoods.com.