Alan Gustafson reports: A state inquiry is under way to determine whether two state agencies broke Oregon law by dumping records with people’s names and Social Security numbers into an open recycling bin. Regulators with the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services are checking for violations of the Oregon Consumer Identity Theft Protection Act,…
Category: Paper
NC: Kids’ Social Security numbers on school postcards
Josh Shaffer reports: The Wake County school system accidentally sent out about 5,000 postcards with students’ Social Security numbers printed on the front, a mistake that angered parents and will cost the district nearly $100,000 to remedy. On Tuesday, Wake schools mailed about 15,000 reminders asking parents to specify if they want to keep their…
Ca: Postal worker arrested after passport applications stolen
From the Canadian Press: Authorities say a Canada Post employee was arrested after 75 filled-out passport applications collected by Human Resources Minister Diane Finley’s office were allegedly stolen. A 28-year-old man from the Gatineau, Que., area was arrested Nov. 6 and released, Const. Isabelle Poirier said Thursday. Police recovered passport applications from Ontario and some…
Tax Documents Found in Atlanta Dumpster
Justin Gray reports that private personal and financial records including tax returns were found in a dumpster Tuesday in Atlanta. The documents appeared to be from an accountant’s office, and CPA Gregg Bossen says he has no idea how this happened and will investigate.
MO: Personal Documents Discovered in Dumpster (updated)
Emily Baucum reports that bankers boxes full of unredacted personal and financial records from former clients of Nation Wide Credit Counseling were found in a public dumpster in Battlefield, Missouri. As if that is not troubling enough, Baucum reports that “The Battlefield Police Department is investigating the situation, but the boxes are still in the…
OR: State mistake puts personal data at risk
Alan Gustafson reports: Sloppy handling of confidential records by a state agency in Salem left people’s names, Social Security numbers, ages and addresses exposed in an open recycling bin outdoors. The blunder by the Housing and Community Services agency put low-income, elderly and disabled residents at risk of becoming targets of identity theft or other…