Emily Featherston reports:
Email is no stranger to being linked to cases of identity theft and data breaches. Most of the time, the thief sends a phishing message that coaxes information out of the victim or brings along viruses or malware.
However, a single email led to the improper release of the information of 158 Wilmington city employees earlier this year.
According to documents obtained by WECT, an August insurance claims report from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of North Carolina intended for Wilmington officials was accidentally sent to another municipality. That report included information for claims from those 158 employees that included social security numbers, the codes for their diagnoses and the dollar amounts of each claim and what was paid.
The employee working at the incorrect municipality reportedly deleted the email and notified BCBS, and in turn the company notified the city of Wilmington a few days before Hurricane Florence.
Read more on WECT. How the city and BCBS NC handled this has raised a few eyebrows.