Oakridge Oregon City Employees’ Personal Data on Back of Monthly Water Bill Newsletter

City employees in Oakridge, Oregon are receiving free credit monitoring after a printing error caused their personal data to be printed on the back of the company newsletter that is included in residents’ monthly water bills.

Gordon Zimmerman, city administrator, put it perfectly in his letter to the Oakridge City Council and KVAL news: “Sometimes technology can be your friends. Sometimes the print buffer in the copy machine can betray you.” Due to confusion with a document that didn’t print correctly, followed by someone using the copy machine, the city employee information was inadvertently printed on the back of the newsletters.

Although the mayor would not accept an interview, city officials are taking the steps to protect their city employees. Credit monitoring services are being provided for all those who may have been affected, but even so, the chances of identity theft are extremely high for those who work for the city.