Marshall Allen reports: Private information about accident victims treated at University Medical Center has apparently been leaking for months, the Sun has learned, allegedly so ambulance-chasing attorneys could mine for clients. Sources say someone at UMC is selling a compilation of the hospital’s daily registration forms for accident patients. This is confidential information — including…
Category: Theft
Starbucks Data Breach Plaintiffs Try Their Luck in the Ninth Circuit
From The Short Names blog: A lost laptop computer containing the personal information of Starbucks employees prompted a class action lawsuit against Starbucks (in Washington). The lawsuit received some coverage (see, for example Bob McMillan here, and Starbucks Gossip here), but the trial court’s dismissal of the lawsuit received almost no coverage. (I mentioned the…
Update: Stolen BCBS hard drives had data on 2 million insured
This is a follow-up to an incident first reported here. Dennis Ferrier reports: One of Tennessee’s largest holders of personal information confirms that an October theft from a Chattanooga office affects about 2 million of its clients. Blue Cross Blue Shield said 68 computer hard drives that contained Social Security numbers and other sensitive information…
UK: Addresses and signatures taken from St Albans council offices
Alex Lewis reports: Four laptops containing the personal details and signatures of more than 14,000 St Albans people have been stolen from the district counil, the Review can reveal. District council officials realised last week that a laptop containing the names, addresses and dates of birth of 14,673 people – everyone who applied for a…
WA: Renton man sentenced to 5-year prison term on ID theft
Levi Pulkkinen reports: A 37-year-old Renton man accused of stealing hundreds of identities and credit cards was sentenced to a five-year prison term Friday in U.S. District Court. According to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle, Billy Morris Britt took part in an ID theft ring that targeted 23 different financial…
UK: Primary Care Trusts breach the Data Protection Act
Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust and Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust have taken remedial action after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found them in breach of the Data Protection Act. Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust (PCT) informed the ICO of the theft of two desktop computers containing sensitive personal data relating to…