TRENTON, June 20, 2006 – A malfunction of mail processing equipment in the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) Postal Center occurred during the period between May 31 and June 7. This malfunction resulted in the unintentional distribution of personal information of up to 498 unemployment insurance claimants. As a precautionary measure LWD is sending letters to all potentially affected individuals to alert them that their personal information may have been inadvertently delivered to other customers.
The malfunction occurred while processing a group of 9,581 claimant forms, and up to 498 of the claimants in this group could have been affected. The department is advising them of the appropriate steps they can take to guard against identity theft. Claimants who received the original form containing their own personal information are not in jeopardy of having their identity compromised. The department has also alerted the Attorney General’s Office of the situation.
The problem stemmed from a mail stuffing machine inserting more than one unemployment insurance form into some envelopes. As a result, some claimants received the forms of other claimants along with their own forms. The forms contain the names, addresses and social security numbers of the unemployment insurance claimants. The Department is currently taking steps to guard against a recurrence of this problem.
The new letters being sent to customers include blank copies of the unemployment insurance forms that they should have received. Any claimants who did not receive one of the original forms are urged to contact LWD through their closest Reemployment Call Center.
The Department Call Centers are: