http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7954620/

Bank data theft could hit nearly 700,000
Customers' financial records stolen by employees
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:27 p.m. ET May 23, 2005

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - More than 100,000 customers of Wachovia Corp. and
Bank of America Corp. have been notified that their financial records
may have been stolen by bank employees and sold to collection
agencies. In all, nearly 700,000 customers of four banks may be
affected, according to police in Hackensack, N.J., where the
investigation was centered.

So far, Bank of America has alerted about 60,000 customers whose names
were included on computer disks discovered by police, bank spokeswoman
Alex Liftman said Monday.

"We are trying to communicate with our customers as promptly as
possible," she said. "So far, we have no evidence that any of our
customer information has been used for account fraud or identity
theft."

Wachovia said it has identified 48,000 current and former account
holders whose accounts may have been breached.

"The numbers have increased as we continue to receive additional names
from police," Wachovia spokeswoman Christy Phillips said Monday.

Both banks are providing the affected customers with free credit
reporting services.

The bank record theft was exposed April 28 when police in Hackensack
charged nine people, including seven bank workers, in an alleged plot
to steal financial records of thousands of bank customers.

The bank employees accessed records for customers of Cherry Hill,
N.J.-based Commerce Bank, PNC Bank of Pittsburgh, and Charlotte-based
banks Wachovia and Bank of America, according to Hackensack Police
Chief Ken Zisa.

Repeated calls seeking comment were not returned by Commerce Bank
officials, while PNC officials declined to estimate how many of their
customers' accounts may have been breached.

"We have no evidence that any of these accounts have been compromised
at all. We continue to work with law enforcement officials," said Pat
McMahon, a spokesman for PNC.

New Jersey authorities found 12 names and Social Security numbers
belonging to PNC customers but the bank found no suspicious activity
in the accounts, he said.

Collection agent Orazio Lembo Jr., 35, of Hackensack made millions of
dollars through the scheme, Zisa has said.

Authorities said they discovered the plot after they executed a search
warrant at Lembo's apartment in February as part of a separate
investigation. They seized 13 computers which contained details about
the plan, Zisa said.

Lembo received lists of people sought for debt collection and turned
that information over to the seven bank workers, who would compare
those names to their client lists. The bank workers were paid $10 for
each account they turned over to Lembo, Zisa said.

In New Jersey, continued scrutiny of computer discs seized from
Lembo's offices was yielding more names. Investigators have now
identified nearly 700,000 potential victims, Hackensack police Capt.
Frank Lomia said Monday.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press


--

Contempt of Congress meter reading-offscale.
Hello, theocracy with a fundamentalist US Supreme
Court who will ensure church and state are joined
at the hip like clergy and altar boys.
America 1776-Jan 2001 RIP

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president
represents, more and more closely, the inner soul
of the people. On some great and glorious day the
plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire at last and the White House will be adorned
by a downright moron." --- H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

Religion is the original war crime.
-Michelle Malkin (Feb 26, 2005)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7954620/

Bank data theft could hit nearly 700,000
Customers' financial records stolen by employees
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:27 p.m. ET May 23, 2005

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - More than 100,000 customers of Wachovia Corp. and
Bank of America Corp. have been notified that their financial records
may have been stolen by bank employees and sold to collection
agencies. In all, nearly 700,000 customers of four banks may be
affected, according to police in Hackensack, N.J., where the
investigation was centered.