Published: January 05, 2008 12:06 am            

Seniors’ personal info stolen

A computer stolen in a Johnstown burglary last month contained personal information about more than 20,000 senior citizens in four counties, including Indiana and Clearfield, officials confirmed Friday.

The theft of the state Department of Aging laptop computer resulted in the state’s sending personal notifications to each senior and providing free credit-monitoring services to them for a year.

“We know of no breaches (of any confidential information),” said Yvonne Bucher, chief of staff to the department’s secretary, on Friday.

In addition to Indiana and Clearfield counties, the 20,632 affected clients reside in Union and Snyder counties, Bucher said.

The information in the database included Social Security and telephone numbers and addresses of the clients.

A department employee – who was not identified – had been visiting overnight in Johnstown for a family member’s funeral, Bucher said, when the machine was stolen.

The employee is an aging services specialist and was testing a database, Bucher said.

The computer had a double password protection, but the department took the extra precaution of providing the credit-monitoring services rather than chance somebody gaining access, she said.

Johnstown police have indicated that they believe the laptop was stolen for its own value rather than the personal information, Bucher said.

Johnstown police Capt. Andrew Frear said police were continuing to investigate the Dec. 5 theft from a Moxham residence.

No arrest has been made, and the laptop has not been recovered, he said.

The state worker has not been disciplined, Bucher said.

        

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