Furnace Rebate Applicants Involved in Security Breach due to Actions of a Temporary Employee

As many as 11,000 people who applied for a furnace rebate program through the state of Connecticut’s Office and Policy Management are at serious risk for identity theft after one specific incident arose from an applicant who notified the Hartford, Connecticut police that identity fraud had occurred on her credit report.

It appears as though a temporary employee who worked with the company from May 2008 to May 2009 may be the person to blame, but no arrests have been made at this time. The investigation by Hartford and Connecticut State police is still in progress, but the person responsible for the information and identity fraud is still unknown. It is believed, however, that a temporary employee hired by a non-profit agency may have obtained and used names and Social Security numbers through the furnace rebate applicants.

Although there has only been a report of one particular incident, authorities and the Office of Policy Management are not taking the incident lightly. They have notified all of those who may be affect, and advised them to monitor their credit reports for identity theft protection.

Tennessee University Students at Risk for Identity Theft after Computer Stolen from Office

Over 7,000 students of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee are signing up for free credit monitoring services by Debix after receiving information about a stolen computer from their college’s education office, which stored the names and Social Security numbers of the students.

During the February 6th, 2010 weekend, this desktop computer was stolen from a locked office on campus, and the school is taking the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of their students and their information. The school is taking the incident seriously, as it is unknown who stole the desktop computer and if they are able to readily access the information stored on it.

Vanderbilt University is offering one year of credit monitoring services to their students through Debix Identity Protection Network, which places credit alerts on their credit files and protects them with a $1 million Identity Theft Insurance Policy. Students are relieved that the university is looking out for their protection as the local police department continues to investigate this matter.

Identity Theft Often Happens Close to Home

When you look to the causes of identity theft, it’s an unfortunate fact that you sometimes have to turn your head close to home. Friends and family, or more commonly, ex-friends and family, can sometimes be the cause of the problem. It makes sense considering these people are most likely to have access to your personal information, but it often packs a more painful blow than if the theft occurred due to the actions of a faceless stranger.

An anonymous contributor to the November issue of Money magazine was one such victim. Her ex-husband ran up $453 on a fraudulent Comcast cable account he opened in her son’s name. The fraud wasn’t discovered until her son attempted to acquire a credit card at a department store.

Luckily, in this case, the amount of money was relatively small and the case was resolved fairly quickly. However, in many cases, it may take years for the theft to even be found out, especially if the victim is under 18 when the crime occurs.

Why does the victim’s age make a difference? How many ten year olds do you know that check their credit histories? This is because they don’t have credit histories, or at least, they shouldn’t. That makes them excellent targets for thieves because it gives them years to develop fraudulent accounts unnoticed and plenty of time to spend, spend, spend!

Now we are not suggesting that you cut off all contact with friends and family and lock up your wallet when you’re entering your home. What we are suggesting is that you take precautions to protect yourself, even if you don’t divulge your information online or hold many credit accounts. And, don’t forget to think of your children as well, even if your son or daughter is less than a year old. Be it due to a friend, family member or stranger, identity theft is nothing to be messed with.

So how do you protect yourself? Identity theft insurance is a good bet. You can get coverage for as little as pennies a day for you and for your family. TrustedID and LifeLock identity theft services are two great options to consider, but there are also many others that could possibly fit your needs. There’s sure to be a plan that is perfect for you.
It’s sad to think that you need to protect yourself from people you know, but in the identity theft game there are no rules. The people with the best identity protection plans are the ones that come out the winners.

Theft of Laptop From Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Raises Concern for Data Stored

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans of Minneapolis, Minnesota, notified the public of a possible security breach of personal, sensitive data that was stored on a laptop that was recently stolen from their Pennsylvania office.

The laptop, though encrypted and protected with strong passwords, is still considered a risk due to the fact that the laptop did indeed store potentially sensitive personal data that could be used for identity theft purposes. The data stored on the laptop included names, contact information and Social Security numbers, including health insurance information through the insurance company.

Though there have been no reports of the information being used for any wrongdoing, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has notified their members and clients of the security breach and are offering one year’s worth of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.


Hotel System Hacked, Possibly Exposing Thousands of Guest Credit Card Numbers

The Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles recently disclosed to the public that their credit card systems had been hacked sometime between April and December of 2009, and that the information that was accessed included guest names, credit card numbers and expiration dates of the credit cards and debit card transactions.

Although the issue is directly connected to the restaurants and the valet parking area, Westin’s spokesperson stated that the large hotel chain is offering free credit monitoring services for customers who feel they may have been affected. However, if any guests used their credit or debit cards in one of the hotel’s restaurants (Lake View Bistro, Lobby Court Bar, Bonavista Lounge or L.A. Prime), they are strongly advised to place fraud alerts with the credit reporting agencies and to notify their banks and credit card companies of the recent data breach. This will ensure that their financial information will be monitored and more secure in the event of any suspicious activity on their accounts.

Identity theft protection services, such as Debix and LifeLock, are available to those interested in protecting their financial accounts from identity theft and fraud.