State Prints SSNs On Thousands Of Envelopes (CA)

[Kadie]

State Prints SSNs On Thousands Of Envelopes
Department Of Health Care Services Alerts Beneficiaries To Mistake
POSTED: 12:18 pm PST February 8, 2010
UPDATED: 12:22 pm PST February 8, 2010


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Envelopes sent to thousands of Californians who get benefits from the Department of Health Care Services contained Social Security numbers on the mailing labels.

The department said Monday the mailings went to 49,352 people receiving adult day health care benefits.

"At this point, there is no evidence that unauthorized parties have acquired or accessed beneficiary personal information," a statement from the department said.

Those affected are being advised to put a fraud alert on their files with the tree credit reporting agencies, among other measures to prevent identity theft.

more...
http://www.kcra.com/station/22500936/detail.html

[Speck Tater]

1. "I'm from the government. I'm here to help you." nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Ronnie?

[BrklynLiberal]

5. ROTFLMAO!!!!

[Cassandra]

7. Empire BCBS did that a few years ago.

Big oops! Private companies can be stupid, too.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Might as well go to tattoos on foreheads.

:woohoo:

[BrklynLiberal]

4. DUH??!!! How dumb can someone be? I wonder who came up with THAT idea???

and how many people who could have stopped it, did not do so..

[cutlassmama]

10. the addresses/names probably came from a database that also included

SSN's. It was probably a dumb clerk's fault for including the SSNs and no one caught it.

[pleah]

6. ......

:banghead:

[DrDan]

8. how can they be so careless . . .

this could be devastating to someone losing their "ID" - just ridiculously careless and irresponsible.

[Renew Deal]

9. Is the mailman authorized to access beneficiary personal information?

I don't think so. So there's plenty of evidence "that unauthorized parties have acquired or accessed beneficiary personal information."