Staff Report
A laptop stolen in San Francisco on Wednesday might have had the personal information of about 3,000 UNM employees, said Susan McKinsey, a University spokeswoman.
The laptop was in the office of a consulting firm doing work on UNM's human resources and payroll systems.
The information included names, home addresses, e-mail addresses and UNM ID numbers.
"Most of that is stuff that's public information to begin with,"
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
McKinsey said. "The only thing that's not is home addresses, so we're taking this very seriously."
McKinsey did not know the name of the consulting firm.
The laptop might have had Social Security numbers for seven employees, McKinsey said.
UNM hired a credit watch service for those employees.
UNM sent e-mails to employees Saturday to notify them of the theft and give them advice on watching for identity theft.
McKinsey said the laptop was taken along with other computer equipment.
"It wasn't like somebody was going after the laptop because of the information that was on it," she said. "We don't think there's any significant exposure to identity theft, but we want everyone to be really cautious."
If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft:
Consider placing a fraud alert with the three major credit bureaus. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before opening a new account in your name. You should also obtain a credit report and check it against your credit history.
The credit bureaus are:
Equifax - Equifax.com. To place a fraud alert, call 800-525-6285.
Experian - Experian.com. To place a fraud alert, call 888-397-3742.
TransUnion - TransUnion.com. To place a fraud alert, call 800-680-7289.
If you suspect that someone else is using your Social Security number, call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 800-269-0271.
You should also file a report with the police and keep a copy to show to your bank and credit card companies.
Source: Unm.edu/ID
