The California Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach affecting The Freeman Company in February 2014. The incident, dated January 20, 2014, stemmed from a mail processing error that led to the incorrect mailing of W-2 forms. This exposed sensitive employee data, including names, addresses, wages, and Social Security numbers. While the breach was attributed to a procedural failure rather than a targeted cyber intrusion, the exposure of personally identifiable information (PII) and financial details posed significant risks, such as identity theft or fraud. The number of affected employees was reported to be very small, mitigating the scale but not the severity of the data compromise. The breach underscored vulnerabilities in internal handling processes, particularly in safeguarding employee records during physical or administrative transfers. No evidence suggested malicious external actors, but the unintentional disclosure of tax-related documents highlighted gaps in data protection protocols for sensitive workforce information.