[Dataloss] TX: Hundreds of Insurance files found in Richardson dumpster

[rchick]

June 13, 2008
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/wfaa080613_lj_lopez.2c3f840a.html

RICHARDSON - You expect when you give your private information to an
insurance company, it will stay that way.

But on Friday, hundreds of files with people's names, social security
numbers and policy numbers were found in a Richardson dumpster - a
gold mine for identity thieves.

The files contain a lot of private information. The people who filled
out the forms probably never expected them to end up where anyone
could simply walk away with them.

Mike McCarty was driving by a dumpster near his work in Richardson. He
saw a man taking pictures of trash inside, so he stopped.

"If you look through these far enough, you'll find most of the data
that a thief would be looking for," McCarty said.

"[The man] said he was looking for empty boxes because he was going to
move but he found a bunch of these files."

There were files with people's names, addresses, social security
numbers and even pictures of their homes and cars.

"Not something you would want to find in a dumpster," said McCarty.

The files were dumped here by a company called Texas Insurance Claims
Services which processes people's claims.

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