Econ Focus
Identity Theft
Greater credit options have increased consumers' financial flexibility — and the ability of criminals to steal information. Still, the share of people victimized remains small
By Betty Joyce Nash
Security Blotter
The following is a sampling of security breaches that involved Fifth District-based organizations in 2005. Many more breaches may not be made public. Only 23 states require disclosure of breaches to people whose personal information is exposed to identity thieves.
| Company (Location of HQ) |
Description of Security Breach | Number of People Affected |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of America (Charlotte, NC) | Company lost computer backup tapes with personal information of federal employees | 1,200,000 |
| Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC) | Hacker accessed passwords for computer system | 5,500 |
| East Carolina University (Greenville, NC) | Hacker accessed private information of students and applicants, probably limited to one department | 250 |
| George Mason University (Fairfax, VA) | Hacker accessed private information of students and staff | 30,000 |
| MCI (Ashburn, VA) | Thief stole laptop with names and SSNs of current and former employees | 16,500 |
| NC Division of Motor Vehicles (Raleigh, NC) | Contract worker downloaded addresses from DMV database; caught before stealing additional information | 3,800,000 |
| Omega World Travel (Fairfax, VA) | Thief stole laptop with names and government credit card numbers for U.S. Dept. of Justice personnel | 80,000 |
| University of Virginia (Charlottesville,VA) | School accidently made names and SSNs of students and contractors of Housing Division available on Internet | 2,600 |
| VA Dept. of Criminal Justice Services (Richmond, VA) | Potential theft of names, phone numbers, and SSNs of job applicants (the theft of 40 names has been confirmed) | 3,500 |
Sources: Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Identity Theft Resource Center
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