Wells Fargo security alert

[Alexander]

If you are a Wells Fargo customer you should take advantage of your legal rights under the Gramm-Leach-Bailey Act of 2001 (15 USC 1, Sec. 6801) to opt out with Wells Fargo from their being allowed to give away your personal data to related companies. You can call them up and ask to opt out under the Gramm-Leach-Bailey Act.

You should also check your Wells Fargo checking accounts if you have a fake Visa debit card with them ASAP.

"The theft of four servers from a company that prints loan statement leaves thousands of consumers who have taken out loans or obtained mortgages from Wells Fargo at risk from potential identity fraud, AP reports.

Computers nicked from the Atlanta offices of Regulus Integrated Solutions (Calif.-based Regulus Integrated Solutions, which handles billing for banks.--- http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-wells3nov03,1,7745934.story) include personal details including names, addresses, and social security numbers of Wells Fargo customers. It seems likely the robbery was a straightforward theft but there's no good reason to take chances.

Last week Wells Fargo wrote to customers whose data might have been compromised urging them to take extra precautions. It has offered these consumers a year's free subscription to its credit-monitoring service.

Wells Fargo is doing the right thing in the aftermath of a crisis but really it ought to be taking better care of customer data in the first place. It's the third time in little more than a year that Wells Fargo has been obliged to issue advice following the theft of customer data, according to AP."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/03/wells_fargo_id_theft_flap

Customers who have home mortgages or student loans through Wells Fargo could get a letter in the mail that tells customers about an office break-in in Atlanta, during which four computers were stolen. . . .

Henckel told KCCI that a Wells Fargo employee told him that about 400,000 people received the letters.

Kevin Waetke, a Wells Fargo spokesman in Des Moines, confirmed that the break-in happened in Atlanta in early October. He wouldn't disclose the exact number of customers effected but said it was in the thousands.

http://www.theiowachannel.com/money/3889122/detail.html

http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Nov/sec20041104027697.htm

[Erika]

They did give me a year free of their credit monitoring service, which happens to be Privacy Guard with a new face.