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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.newuniversity.org/main/article?slug=identity_thefts_traced_to156">http://www.newuniversity.org/main/article?slug=identity_thefts_traced_to156</A></FONT></DIV>
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<P>United Healthcare, the provider for UCI’s Graduate Student Health Insurance
Program, admitted that it was the source of identity thefts of past and present
UCI graduate and medical students on Wednesday, May 28. </P>
<P>Beginning in February, UC Irvine graduate students who attempted to submit
income tax returns electronically were informed by the IRS that their had
already been filed, provoking complaints to the UCI Police Department to solve
the identity thefts. To date, all 155 reported victims were participants in
UCI’s Graduate Student Health Insurance Program. </P>
<P>UCI is currently making efforts to provide identity theft victims with
sufficient information to solve the problems caused by the situation. UCIPD sent
out the first crime alert on March 20 and has released periodic updates with
more information. In addition, affected students will also be provided a guide
to prevent identity theft and fraud in the future. </P>
<P>Administration has assured students that data security is their top priority.
IT security teams meet regularly in discussion of security problems and
practices. UCI’s computer safety Web site, located at security.uci.edu, provides
students with information on how to protect their computers from cyber attacks.
The site also discusses recent security concerns and email scams. </P>
<P>UCI’s financial aid office has set up emergency loans available to victims of
identity theft whose delay in receiving their income tax refund has affected
their financial status. </P>
<P>[...]</P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mike Hill</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.idtheft101.net">www.idtheft101.net</A>
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