Mailed Certificates Left Personal Information at Risk When Mailed to Wrong Addresses

One year of credit protection services through Lifelock have been offered to employees of the State of Tennessee after 1,770 certificates regarding health and dental insurance plans were mailed out to the wrong addresses. Information such as name, address, insurance dates and Social Security numbers were included in the letters.

While there is no belief that this information has been misused, the State of Tennessee is taking the proper precautions in ensuring the protection of their employee’s data after this incident. Anyone who has been affected has been mailed a letter with the steps needed to sign up for the credit protection services offered by the state.

Employee Fired for Stealing Thousands of Patient Records from Work

Dallas, Texas company, Parkland Memorial Hospital, is currently funding credit report monitoring services for over 1,300 individuals who had their personal medical records stolen from their office. The employee that reportedly stole them is the owner of a home health care agency, which leads investigators to believe that the employee was intending to use the information in order to gain new clients, not for monetary gain or for identity theft. The incident, however, is concerning and the medical facility is making sure they take all appropriate steps to ensure the protection of their patients and their personal information.

Paralegal Donates Papers to School, Unaware of Personal Information

It seemed like a harmless thing to do–donate “scrap” paper from the office to a child’s school. However, the paralegal at a Minneapolis firm, Sawicki and Phelps, donated paperwork that ended up having extremely personal medical information on the back. This was discovered when a parent noticed the text on the back of her daughter’s drawing that she brought home from school. The school was notified.

The school, Hale Elementary School, is looking into the rest of their scrap paper in order to remove all of the donated paperwork that was given to them from the legal agency. Parents were sent home letters notifying them of the incident and encouraging them to send back any paperwork that may have been found with personal information on the opposite side.

For anyone who may have dealt with Sawicki and Phelps in the past, it is highly recommended that you consider an identity theft protection service in order to ensure that your information is protected and secure.

Printing Error Causes Envelopes to Expose Social Security Numbers of 36,000 College Savings

Participants of the Bright Directions tuition program through Union Bank and Trust of Illinois are being notified of free enrollment for identity theft protection services after Social Security numbers of over 36,000 individuals were inadvertently printed to be seen through the envelope window in a recent newsletter delivery.

The risk for identity theft is minimal, considering the United States Postal Service sorts mail by machine, so the only individuals who would have actually seen the Social Security numbers would have been the mail carriers themselves. However, due to the sensitivity of the error, Union Bank and Trust is offering free credit report monitoring services for all those affected.

New York Department of Transportation Identity Theft Scam

Recently I got an interesting email from the “New York Department of Transportation.” Enclosed was an image of a traffic ticket for excessive speeding, as well as an address that I should mail the ticket to in order to pay the fine, along with a check. A few red flags went up when I read this email: (a) I haven’t driven in the state of New York in at least three years; (b) the address was a nondescript post office box; (c) a lot of the words in the text were misspelled; (d) the New York State Highway Patrol is not in possession of my email address, as far as I know. While I quickly deleted this message, it came as a bit of a shock to me. An identity thief has never tried to contact me in such a manner before.

This served as a reminder that thieves are constantly trying new tactics to see what will stick in their efforts to dupe consumers. While I could easily tell that the message was a fake one, it has two aspects that will get some people to respond by forking over their money and personal information. First, it contains a scare tactic. Most know that if you fail to pay a speeding ticket it doesn’t simply disappear. Instead, you may end up with a larger fine or with your driver’s license suspended. Second, it provides an easy way to assuage these fears, simply by sending a check to said address.

Fear is a strong motivator; it is simply human nature. However, logic has to prevail in this type of situation. Any email that looks even a little bit suspicious needs to be deleted from your inbox, and your trash folder, as soon as possible to prevent a security risk to your computer. Don’t forget; you can also call the organization the email purports to be from to see if someone there tried to contact you. It’s a good way to report the fraudulent email too. If you want to save the text, take a screenshot. Do not save the message itself especially if it contains links or attachments.

What can you do to put an end to these emails? Sadly, not much, since so many people send them out and many of them are originated in other countries. The most you can do is ensure your spam filters and antivirus software are in full working condition. Besides that, keep your information safe with one of the best identity theft protection services.

Illinois Credit Union Under Investigation After Theft of Laptop Occurs

CEFCU credit union in Peoria, Illinois has notified authorities of a laptop theft that recently occurred. The laptop that was stolen is said to have stored member information, including account numbers, which could be used in committing identity theft and fraud.

CEFCU is providing its members with one year of free credit report monitoring services in order to help protect it’s clients from possible identity theft. Those whose information may be accessible on the laptop should have received a letter in the mail from CEFCU with sign-up instructions.

Pension Fund Information of Approximately 2,000 Accidentally Publicly Posted Online

Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System is currently contacting approximately 2,000 pension fund recipients regarding a security breach that recently occurred with an unencrypted file. This file was inadvertently posted online on a public website and was accessible through a standard internet search.

While the file has been removed from the system, it is unknown how long the file was publicly available. It appears as though the file had only been accessed once, but it is still a concern for anyone whose information was posted, which included names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and other identifiable information that can be used to commit identity theft.

It is essential that those who have retired from Pennsylvania Public Schools strongly consider an identity theft protection service in order to ensure that their information is not used inappropriately to access or harm personal or financial records.

Why Malls Increase Security for Holidays

Marketing Director for Santa Maria Town Center in California, Amber Lease, said “We about double the staffing, so you should at all times see three security members.” Why does the mall need some much security these days? The obvious reason is that there are literally more shoppers. The sheer number of people does not imply an increase in crime on its own, of course. But the crowds in the mall mean tension can run high, people can act out of character, and identity thieves can easily stalk their victims. If you’re any of the following types of shopper, you are putting yourself at risk.

Cell Phone Slave
Are you constantly texting your mother to find out that latest sales, or are you using the time while you hit the stores to conference for work or chat with Aunt Agnes over the airwaves. Great. Not only are you a distraction to other shoppers, but you are also distracted, which makes you a prime target for pickpockets. So, keep it in your pocket unless absolutely necessary.

Babysitter
While shopping with young children may seem like fun, you could find yourself chasing them all over the mall – or at least between the toy displays. It’s easy for you to forget your bags, your wallet or even your purse while you perform your rendition of rallying the troops. Sometimes it’s just easier to shop alone, or at least to bring another adult with you.

Power Buyer
You become so laden down with bags that you can barely walk. You’re so anxious to take advantage of every single deal. Too bad you don’t notice when a thief cuts your purse strap or makes off with the canceled check buried in bag number one. If you have a car, take advantage. Drop some of those bags in the trunk and come back. If not, leave items on hold and come back to get them at the end of the day when you know you’re on the way out.

Last Minute Shopper
You can’t even remember when Christmas Eve is, let alone where you left your credit card. Being frantic to get things done can set you up for failure – failure to pay close attention to what you’re doing that is. It’s better to get everyone a gift card than to lose your wallet in the megaplex parking lot. If needed, set reminders so that you can shop online instead. Just don’t forget to look for that lock icon and https in the URL.

All shoppers should consider an identity theft protection service or credit monitoring service. In fact, that can be the best holiday gift you give yourself

Customers of Metrolux 14 Theaters of Loveland, Colorado Linked to Identity Theft

Police in Northern Colorado have received upwards of 1,100 fraud reports of those who live in the
Loveland, Colorado area, and have investigated and found the link–all complaints had, at one point in time, legitimately used their cards at Metrolux 14 Theaters.

After further investigation, it was found that the credit card system at Metrolux 14 Theaters had been hacked, and the breach apparently led to misuse and identity theft from the hacker.

For anyone who may have recently used their debit or credit card at Metrolux 14 Theaters in Loveland, Colorado, consider closely monitoring your financial statements and credit reports for unusual activity. Authorities suggest considering identity theft protection services in order to closely watch for anything that may be out of the ordinary on your financial accounts.

Old Tax Returns Left Outside Jackson Hewitt Location

A San Francisco Jackson Hewitt tax firm is under investigation after an evicted business owner left stacks of old tax returns and several shredding boxes out on the street outside of his leased office. A passerby notified police of the files having been left out on the street, and an investigation continued to determine who was responsible for the files.

While these files dated around 2007 and further, they still contained financial information, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive data that can be used for identity theft. If in the wrong hands, someone could damage one’s financial reputation quickly and easily. The fact that the files were left out in a public spot shows the disregard for others’ personal information.

For anyone who may have had tax services completed by the Jackson Hewitt location in San Francisco, it is highly recommended that they consider closely watching their financial accounts and perhaps utilize credit monitoring services to ensure the protection of their identity.

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