Auditor Loss Of Wells Fargo Data Alleged

September 1, 2006

By David Utter, Staff Writer

http://www.securitypronews.com/news/securitynews/spn-45-20060901AuditorLossOfWellsFargoDataAlleged.html



A two-page letter obtained by SecurityProNews claimed a notebook computer containing personal information about Wells Fargo employees has been stolen from an auditor's vehicle.

The letter, dated August 28th, said the computer and a data disk were stolen from the locked trunk of an unnamed auditor. The auditor contacted Wells Fargo and law enforcement, and both are investigating the theft.

"The auditor had your information because we are required by the Internal Revenue Service to have our health plans audited by independent qualified public accountants," the letter read. "We have no indication that the information has been accessed or misused."

Employee data including names, Social Security numbers, and information about prescription drug claim cost and dates made during 2005 under the Wells Fargo health plan, was on the disk.

The letter said the information "did not include the name of the prescription or the name of the pharmacy where you purchased the prescription." Wells Fargo is offering a year of free credit protection to its employees who may have been exposed due to this data loss.

Wells Fargo, based in San Francisco, suffered a laptop loss in June when a machine did not arrive at its destination while being shipped by a "global express shipping company," according to a BankNet 360 report.

The bank did not respond to a request for comment about the alleged current incident by press time.


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