Paul Pinkham reports: Personal identities gleaned from two state agencies dealing with children were used to obtain $2.7 million in fraudulent income tax returns in a conspiracy masterminded by an Orange Park man, a federal agent testified. Bryan A. Copeland and a half-dozen co-conspirators filed 880 bogus tax returns from 2006 to 2009 using counterfeit…
Category: Government Sector
UK: East Lothian Council exposes cabbies’ personal info on web site
Kirsty Gibbins reports: East Lothian Council has apologised over a “serious” staff error which saw the personal details and previous convictions of taxi licence applicants published on the local authority’s website for two hours. The names, addresses, telephone numbers, driving history and criminal records of 12 applicants for either taxi driver or operator licences –…
UK police officer fined over privacy breach
Looks like another UK police officer has been disciplined for violating data protection laws by snooping. The Jersey Evening Post reports that Paul Byrne misused the force’s database to look up the address of a woman who is dating his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. He was fined £300 by the Magistrate’s Court and could face further…
MA: Town of Essex Legal Notice About “Potential” Breach Involving Youth Commission Records
The Town of Essex in Massachusetts has posted a notice to its web site that some records of the Essex Youth Commission are “presently unaccounted for.” Based on the Town’s ongoing investigation such documents and computer files are believed to include, but not be limited-to, records relating to the Essex Youth Commission Summer Program and…
UK: Council data leak sparks fraud fears
An investigation has been launched after the personal details of almost 2,000 council workers were leaked in a major security breach. Sensitive data including bank account details, addresses and national insurance numbers of employees and councillors at East Devon District Council were sent to a private email address by a former manager. Councillors have described…
Delaware government: State retiree sues over Aon data leak
Cris Barrish reports: The fallout from the posting of the Social Security numbers and birth dates of 22,000 Delaware government retirees on a state website continued Wednesday when one woman filed a class-action lawsuit against the state’s benefits consultant. “I feel aggrieved. It’s something we’re going to have worry about for the rest of our…