MASSILLON, Ohio — A class action lawsuit has been filed against Progressive Auto Group in Massillon, after the dealership notified customers of a data breach that exposed sensitive personal information.
RELATED: Social Security numbers may have been exposed in data breach connected to local car dealership
The lawsuit, filed in Stark County, claims the dealership waited about seven months to inform customers that their information may have been compromised.
According to the complaint, the data breach occurred on June 20, 2025.
However, customers did not begin receiving notification letters until late December, and some reported not receiving them until the end of January.
The lawsuit alleges that 1,680 people were affected. It also claims the cyberattack was carried out by a notorious hacking group known as “Nitrogen.”
The notification letters warned customers that highly sensitive information may have been exposed, including: social security numbers, driver's license numbers, debit card and banking information.
The lead plaintiff, who is from Canton, said he purchased a car from the dealership in 2025.
He said he later became a victim of identity theft and experienced a reduction in available credit following the breach.
We previously spoke with Aaron Lucarelli in January after he received his notification letter that his personal information had been compromised. He described the stress and anxiety the situation caused.
Lucarelli is now considering joining the class action suit.
"It makes me feel insecure. I had to contact all three credit bureaus late at night. Made it really difficult to get to sleep because I'm just thinking about like, 'Oh my God, who knows that kind of information', and what kind of damage could that do to me financially," said Lucarelli.
We reached out to Progressive Auto Group for comment, but have not yet received a response. The dealership has previously stated it is offering one year of free credit monitoring services to affected customers.
