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Bank of America Loses Data for 1.2 Million Federal EmployeesOn March 1, 2005, Bank of America announced that it lost computer data tapes containing customer information for 1.2 million employees of the federal government. The data tapes also contained information for a number of U.S. Senators. Reports indicate that the data tapes were stolen often a commercial airplane in December 2004. The most likely individuals have been identified as baggage handlers, but no arrests have been made. The lost data tapes contained individual information containing:
Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is one of the Senate members that have come forward to acknowledge his inclusion on the data tape. Other Senators are believed to be on the list, but have no come forward. Bank of America has apologized for the loss of the data tapes. If you’re a Bank of America customer and want to check on your information, you can call 800-472-1424. You can also place “fraud alerts” on your credit report by contacting the following:
Our Comment The loss of data tapes by Bank of America cannot be excused. Making things worse, the bank failed to disclose the loss for over 2 months. The only positive of this situation is the fact that Senators information was included in the data. Undoubtedly, we will soon be seeing legislation requiring better data handling procedures for banks and information brokers. *************************** The above discussion is intended to be a general commentary on legal issues. Each situation is different and this article is not intended as legal advice for your specific situation. Further, nothing in this article is intended to create an attorney-client relationship. If you have additional questions, please contact Richard@SanDiegoBusinessLawFirm.com << Back to Articles |
