Turner & Associates, LLP Listed by projectrelic Ransomware Group: Ransomware Claim — What’s Alleged & What To Do

For clients and contacts of a Florida CPA firm, a ransomware group's claim that internal files were taken is more than an abstract cybersecurity story. It raises practical questions about whether tax records, financial statements, or personal identifiers tied to accounting work could surface outside the firm’s control.

On 11 November 2022, Turner & Associates, LLP was listed by the ransomware group projectrelic. Public detail is limited: the number of people affected is unknown, and the only description of what was taken is that internal files were allegedly exfiltrated in a ransomware attack. The listing itself remains a claim by the group rather than an independently confirmed disclosure.

What happened

According to the available record, Turner & Associates, LLP appeared on a projectrelic leak-site listing dated 11 November 2022. The incident is characterised as a ransomware attack in which internal files were allegedly exfiltrated. No public figure has been given for the volume of data, the number of individuals affected, or the precise date the intrusion began. Method of initial access, duration of presence inside the network, and whether encryption was also deployed are undisclosed. The firm’s own public description of its work—emphasising long-standing partner experience and service to clients in Florida—does not address the incident, so the leak-site claim is the primary source of the report.

The group behind it: projectrelic

projectrelic is known in public reporting as a ransomware operation that follows the common double-extortion pattern: encrypting systems while also copying data and threatening to publish it if payment is not made. Groups of this type typically maintain leak sites where they list victims and, in some cases, release sample files to increase pressure. Their tactics often include phishing, exploitation of remote-access services, or use of stolen credentials, followed by lateral movement and data staging before encryption. Notable prior activity attributed to similar actors has involved professional-services and mid-market firms whose data holds clear resale or extortion value. With respect to Turner & Associates, LLP specifically, the only established point is the group’s claim that the firm was hit and that internal files were taken; no further statements by projectrelic about this victim are part of the public record used here.

About Turner & Associates, LLP

Turner & Associates, LLP is described in its own materials as one of the leading CPA firms in the State of Florida, with partners whose combined experience totals 75 years. Certified public accounting practices of this kind routinely handle client tax returns, financial statements, payroll data, business formation records, and correspondence that can contain Social Security numbers, bank details, and other identifiers. Because the firm sits between individuals, small businesses, and the tax and regulatory systems they must navigate, a breach of its internal files carries consequences that extend beyond the organisation itself. The professional relationship is built on confidentiality; any unauthorised exposure of work papers or client files undermines that expectation even when the exact scope remains unconfirmed.

What data was at risk

The facts state only that internal files were exfiltrated in a ransomware attack. No inventory of file types, no count of records, and no confirmation of whether client personal data, employee information, or purely administrative material was included have been made public. Organisations in the CPA sector typically hold tax documents, financial reports, engagement letters, and supporting identity data. Those categories are the kinds of material that could be present in internal file stores, yet it is not established that any specific category was taken in this incident. Exact contents therefore remain unconfirmed.

The real-world impact

For people whose information may have been among the internal files, the concrete risks include targeted phishing that references real tax or accounting details, attempts to open credit or file fraudulent returns, and longer-term exposure if documents continue to circulate. For the firm, the impact includes operational disruption from the ransomware event itself, potential regulatory notification duties, and the need to rebuild client trust. Because the number of affected individuals is unknown and the data types are not itemised, the scale of these risks cannot be quantified from public sources. The absence of detail does not eliminate the possibility of harm; it simply means affected parties must proceed on the assumption that sensitive material could have left the firm’s control.

What to do if you're exposed

If you have been a client or employee of Turner & Associates, LLP, or if you otherwise believe your data may have been held in its systems, practical first steps reduce the chance of follow-on fraud:

• Monitor tax transcripts and credit reports for unfamiliar filings or accounts.
• Treat unsolicited messages that reference accounting or tax matters with heightened caution and verify through known firm channels.
• Consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes with the major consumer reporting agencies.
• Change passwords on any accounts that may have shared credentials or recovery information with the firm, and enable multi-factor authentication where available.
• Retain copies of any breach notices you receive and note the date you first learned of the incident.

You can also run a free exposure scan of your email address to check whether it has already appeared in known breach data sets. That check does not confirm or rule out involvement in this specific incident, but it can indicate whether your address is circulating more widely and help you prioritise further monitoring.

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