Fitzgerald, DePietro & Wojnas CPAs, P.C. Listed by medusa Ransomware Group: Ransomware Claim — What’s Alleged & What To Do

Ransomware groups continue to target professional-services firms that hold concentrated volumes of financial and personal records, often using double-extortion tactics that combine encryption with public data leaks. Against that backdrop, the Medusa ransomware group listed Fitzgerald, DePietro & Wojnas CPAs, P.C. on its leak site on June 19, 2024, claiming to have taken 92.5 GB of internal files from the Utica, New York accounting practice. The number of individuals whose information may be involved remains unknown, and public detail beyond the listing itself is limited.

The listing matters because accounting firms routinely process tax returns, payroll data, and business records that can be reused for identity theft or further fraud. Even when the precise contents of a claimed dump are unconfirmed, the mere assertion of exfiltration raises practical questions for clients and employees about monitoring and containment.

Inside the incident

Public reporting states that Fitzgerald, DePietro & Wojnas CPAs, P.C. was listed by the Medusa ransomware group on June 19, 2024. The group claims that internal files totaling 92.5 GB were exfiltrated in a ransomware attack. No further technical details—such as the initial access vector, the exact date of intrusion, whether systems were encrypted, or whether a ransom demand was issued—have been disclosed in the available record. The number of people potentially affected is listed as unknown. The firm is described as a full-service tax, accounting, and business-consulting practice with 19 employees and a corporate office at 291 Genesee St Ste 3, Utica, New York, 13501.

Because the only concrete figures supplied are the claimed data volume and the listing date, any assessment of scope or impact must remain provisional. No independent confirmation of the exfiltration or of subsequent data publication has been provided in the facts available for this account.

Inside medusa

Medusa is a well-documented ransomware operation that has operated under a ransomware-as-a-service model, recruiting affiliates to conduct intrusions while the core group manages negotiations and leak-site infrastructure. Like many contemporary groups, it typically employs double extortion: after gaining access, operators exfiltrate data before deploying encryption, then threaten to publish the stolen material if payment is not made. The group has previously listed victims across multiple sectors, including professional services, healthcare, and manufacturing, often posting sample files or full archives on a dedicated leak site to increase pressure.

In this case, the appearance of Fitzgerald, DePietro & Wojnas CPAs, P.C. on the Medusa site constitutes a claim by the group rather than independently verified evidence of compromise. Public reporting does not detail any specific statements Medusa made about this victim beyond the listing and the asserted 92.5 GB volume. Established patterns of Medusa activity therefore supply context for how such listings usually unfold, but they do not prove the accuracy of any particular claim about this firm.

Who is Fitzgerald, DePietro & Wojnas CPAs, P.C.?

Fitzgerald, DePietro & Wojnas CPAs, P.C. is a small certified-public-accounting practice based in Utica, New York. According to the available description, it offers full-service tax preparation, accounting, and business-consulting services and employs 19 people. Firms of this type typically serve individuals, families, and local businesses, handling annual tax filings, bookkeeping, payroll processing, and advisory work that requires collection of Social Security numbers, bank-account details, income statements, and corporate financial records.

Because such practices act as trusted repositories for sensitive financial information, a successful intrusion can expose data belonging not only to the firm’s own staff but also to a broader client base. The consequential nature of a breach here stems less from the firm’s size than from the concentration of high-value personal and commercial records that clients routinely entrust to their accountants.

What was likely exposed

The facts state only that internal files were exfiltrated and that the claimed volume is 92.5 GB. No inventory of specific data types—such as tax returns, client lists, or employee records—has been publicly confirmed. Organizations of this kind commonly hold documents containing names, addresses, Social Security numbers, bank and investment account numbers, payroll data, and business financial statements. Whether any or all of those categories were present in the claimed 92.5 GB archive remains unconfirmed.

Readers should therefore treat the following as illustrative of typical holdings rather than as verified contents of this incident:

• Client tax returns and supporting schedules
• Personally identifiable information used for filings
• Payroll and employment records
• Business financial statements and consulting workpapers

Exact contents of the alleged dump have not been independently verified.

Why it matters

For individuals whose data may have been involved, the principal risks are identity theft, tax-refund fraud, and targeted phishing that leverages accurate personal or financial details. Even partial records can enable account takeovers or the creation of synthetic identities. For the firm itself, the consequences include potential regulatory notification obligations, client attrition, and the operational cost of investigation and remediation. Because the number of affected people is unknown and the precise data types unconfirmed, the full scale of exposure cannot yet be quantified; the prudent assumption is that any client or employee who has shared sensitive documents with the practice should treat the possibility of compromise seriously until more information emerges.

What to do if you're exposed

If you are a current or former client or employee of Fitzgerald, DePietro & Wojnas CPAs, P.C., begin by monitoring financial accounts and credit reports for unexpected activity. Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus, and file tax returns early to reduce the window for fraudulent refund claims. Review any recent communications purporting to come from the firm or from tax authorities for signs of social engineering. Readers can also run a free exposure scan of their email address to check whether their information has already surfaced in known breach data sets. Retain records of any notifications you receive and consult the firm’s official channels for updates rather than relying solely on third-party claims.

AICompiled with AI assistance from public sources and published under our editorial standards.