Vroninks Ricker Weyts & Sacre- Notaires (notassoc.be) Listed by fog Ransomware Group: Ransomware Claim — What’s Alleged & What To Do

On 18 December 2024, the Belgian notarial firm Vroninks Ricker Weyts & Sacre- Notaires (notassoc.be) appeared on a listing published by the ransomware group known as fog. The group claims to have exfiltrated 15 GB of internal files in a ransomware attack. The number of people whose information may be involved remains unknown, and public detail about the precise contents of those files is limited. For clients, counterparties and staff who have entrusted personal, financial or legal documents to a notary, even an unverified claim of this kind raises practical questions about privacy, identity security and the integrity of confidential records.

Because notaries routinely handle highly sensitive material, any reported compromise of internal files carries consequences that extend beyond the organisation itself. This article sets out only what has been reported, places the claim in context, and outlines the real-world stakes and first steps for anyone who may be affected.

Inside the incident

According to the public listing, fog claims that Vroninks Ricker Weyts & Sacre- Notaires suffered a ransomware attack in which internal files were taken. The volume cited is 15 GB. The listing was reported on 18 December 2024. No further technical details—such as the initial access method, the duration of unauthorised presence on the network, or confirmation that encryption was successfully deployed—have been disclosed in the available record. The number of individuals potentially affected is listed as unknown. The firm’s own public statements, if any, are not part of the facts provided here, so the account rests solely on the group’s claim and the sparse accompanying figures.

In short, the incident is known only through fog’s leak-site entry: an alleged ransomware attack, claimed exfiltration of 15 GB of internal files, and a report date of 18 December 2024. Everything else remains undisclosed.

Who is fog?

Fog is a ransomware operation that has been active in the public threat landscape for some time. Like many contemporary groups, it typically follows a double-extortion model: encrypting systems while also copying data and threatening to publish or sell it if a ransom is not paid. Victims are routinely listed on dedicated leak sites, often with sample files or volume claims intended to pressure payment. Fog has previously targeted organisations across multiple sectors and geographies; its listings are therefore best treated as unverified claims until independently confirmed by the victim or by forensic investigators.

Nothing in the available facts indicates that fog has released specific sample files or additional commentary about Vroninks Ricker Weyts & Sacre- Notaires beyond the basic listing and the 15 GB figure. The group’s broader pattern of behaviour is well documented in open sources, but those patterns do not automatically prove the details of this particular claim.

Vroninks Ricker Weyts & Sacre- Notaires (notassoc.be) and its sector

Vroninks Ricker Weyts & Sacre- Notaires operates as a notarial practice, identifiable by its domain notassoc.be. Notaries in Belgium and comparable civil-law jurisdictions are public officers who authenticate legal acts, draft and retain deeds, manage property transfers, handle successions, and often hold funds or sensitive personal documentation on behalf of clients. Their offices therefore function as trusted repositories of identity data, financial arrangements, family and inheritance records, and commercial agreements.

A breach affecting such a practice is consequential precisely because of that trusted role. Clients expect confidentiality as a professional and legal obligation. When internal files are claimed to have left the organisation’s control, the potential exposure reaches beyond the firm’s own staff to every individual or entity whose documents were stored or processed there. The sector’s reliance on long-term document retention and on the legal force of authenticated instruments heightens the lasting impact of any unauthorised disclosure.

The information in question

The only data description supplied in the facts is “Internal files exfiltrated in ransomware attack,” with a claimed volume of 15 GB. No further breakdown—such as whether the files included client deeds, identity documents, financial ledgers, email archives or staff records—has been disclosed. Public detail is therefore limited to that single phrase.

Organisations of this type typically hold copies of identity papers, property titles, marriage and succession files, bank details linked to escrow or settlement accounts, correspondence with clients and other professionals, and internal administrative records. It is reasonable to note that such categories are common in notarial practice, yet it is not established that any specific category was among the 15 GB claimed by fog. The exact contents remain unconfirmed.

What's at stake

For individuals whose data may have been among the internal files, the practical risks include identity misuse, targeted phishing that references genuine legal or financial details, and longer-term privacy harm if sensitive family or property information becomes public. Because notarial documents often remain relevant for decades, exposure can create enduring rather than short-lived problems. The absence of a confirmed count of affected people makes it impossible to gauge the scale, but the nature of the sector means even a modest volume of files can contain high-value personal information.

For the firm itself, the stakes include potential regulatory scrutiny under data-protection rules, loss of client confidence, and the operational cost of investigation and remediation. None of these outcomes is asserted as fact; they are the ordinary consequences that follow when a professional practice is listed by a ransomware group claiming to hold internal material. Until more detail emerges, both the organisation and any potentially affected parties must treat the claim as a serious but still unverified risk.

If your data was in this claimed breach

If you have been a client of Vroninks Ricker Weyts & Sacre- Notaires or have reason to believe your information was held by the practice, treat the listing as a prompt for caution rather than confirmed proof of compromise. Monitor bank and credit accounts for unusual activity, be alert to phishing messages that reference notarial or property matters, and consider placing fraud alerts with relevant credit bureaux if you reside in a jurisdiction that offers them. Preserve any official communications you receive from the firm about the incident.

You can also run a free exposure scan of your email address to check whether your information has already surfaced in known breach data sets. Such a scan does not confirm or rule out involvement in this specific incident, but it provides a practical starting point for assessing wider exposure and deciding on further protective steps.

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