Fraud Alerts about to expire

The data theft incident in Fullerton occurred on February 11, 2008. This website went online on February 14^th. Most Modesto City Schools employees placed fraud alerts on their credit reports in the week following this breach. This message is to alert you that your fraud alerts are about to expire.

Fraud alerts are held for only 90-days. If you are a victim, and can provide a police report showing that you personally have had a loss due to identity theft, you can extend this 90-day fraud alert out to 7 years for free. We are not aware of any MCS employees that experienced loss due to this data theft incident. So you have a few options if you are still concerned and wish to protect your identity.

Credit Monitoring Services

There are many options for monitoring your credit. Many banks and credit card companies offer added services and insurance for protection against identity theft. There are also several firms that provide credit monitoring services for a fee. One of these is LifeLock. Modesto City Schools has negotiated a discount for all of our employees wishing to use this service. Click here to read all about this discount for MCS employees. This service is optional for MCS employees. You can subscribe using a credit card or sign up for a monthly payroll deduction for the service, whichever suits you best.

Credit Freeze

In California, you have the right to put a ’security freeze’ on your credit. This is the only sure fire way to make sure that no new credit is opened using your identity. You will not even be able to open credit yourself without requesting that your freeze be thawed during the credit application process. You can thaw your freeze by phone using your PIN code issued when you place the freeze. There is a cost of $30 per individual to place a freeze with the three credit bureaus ($10 for each). No credit can be opened using your id when a freeze is in place (nor will you get any unsolicited credit offers in the mail). To thaw your credit there’s a $10 fee for a specific date range, or $12 for thawing your credit for a specific creditor. The California Office of Privacy Protection has an excellent brochure detailing the entire process of placing a ’security freeze’ on your credit. Click here to download the PDF brochure.

Credit Reports

At the very least, you should monitor your credit reports for unusual activity. There are a lot of companies out there that try to lure you in with a free credit report, and then they sign you up for a monthly service to provide you with regular credit reports for a monthly fee. One popular TV ad with a guitar playing pirate is one of these firms. We’ve heard from several MCS employees that these services are very difficult to terminate once they get started. Your mileage may vary.

There is only one ‘official’ source for free annual credit reports. The FTC Free Annual Credit Reports site has all the necessary information on getting your ‘no strings attached’ free annual credit reports. The AnnualCreditReport.com site is the ‘official” FTC sponsored website for individuals to request their free annual credit report.

Summary

So as we approach the end of the 90-day fraud alerts that most MCS employees placed on their credit reports, employees need to decide if they are going to take any other actions to monitor or protect their identity moving forward. Identity theft is prevalent in society today. Everyone needs to decide how important their privacy is, and take appropriate measures to protect their identity and credit.

Lifelock Protection for MCS Employees - Special Deal

Good News!

The police recovered the stolen computer which held information on MCS employees and retirees.   No security incidents have been reported connecting the files stored in the stolen computer.   However, due to the prevalence of identity theft, the District contacted several companies that provide identity theft insurance.   The District in conjunction with MTA and CSEA chose LifeLock.   We can now offer MCS employees and retirees the opportunity to enroll in LifeLock’s identity theft protection plan at a discounted price.  The normal price is $110.00 a year if you pay annually or $10.00 a month.

 

LifeLock’s offer to MCS employees and retirees is:

ü      $66.00 per year if you use your credit or debit card.

ü      $6.00 per month if you want it deducted from your payroll check.  (This would be $72.00 for the entire year.)

 

Your spouse, other household members and children  may  also be covered.  The cost for other adults in the household is the same as employees and for each child 15 years or younger the cost is $1.50 per month.   These rates are guaranteed never to increase.     

 

Things to consider:

• This is a voluntary plan offered by the District through LifeLock .  Enrollment is your choice.  
• You may have identity theft coverage already through Pre-paid Legal, a credit card company or a private plan.  In this case you may not  want to purchase LifeLock.      (Pre-paid Legal basic plan does not cover identity theft.)  
•  If you want  your payments to LifeLock deducted from your payroll check you must complete the attached Voluntary deduction form and return it to the MCS payroll office by the 15th of the month.   Lifelock will email you a link and you will have two weeks to register and activate your service. 
•  If you want to pay for the service annually, using your credit or debit card, you register and pay on the LifeLock website created just for Modesto City Schools. ( through the link below)

 If you wish to enroll go to www.lifelockimages.com/modesto.html

 

Retirees, substitutes and other employees, who do not receive a month end check each month from MCS must use the Credit or Debit to enroll.  Anyone wishing to use the Credit or Debit option use the ENROLL YOURSELF & FAMILY USING CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD button.

Stolen Computer Recovered

We were contacted late today (March 10th) and were informed that arrest(s) were made in the theft of the computer from Systematic Automation in Fullerton this past Friday.  The computer that was stolen is in the possession of the Fullerton Police Department, and they will begin a forensic examination of the computer soon to determine what was done with the computer since the theft.  Additional information will be provided to the district once the Police Report it updated.  We have no additional information at this time.  We will post an update to this as soon as we have more information to share.   

Bogus e-mails, how to tell if it’s a scam

There has been a flurry of emails today in response to a bogus email going through the district.  I want to start out this post by showing the email in question, and then telling you why it should set off warning flags.  Now that everyone is on the watch for anything out of the ordinary with their credit, these emails might carry more weight and might actually trick those who are ordinarily skeptical. 

Here’s the email:

Dear Customer,VISA Debit Card, Security Departament temporarily suspended your account.Reason: Fraud AtemptsWe require you to complete an account update so we can unlock your account.To start the update process please call at total free number : 720-279-8631The information provided will be treated in confidence and stored in our secure database.If you fail to provide information about your account you’ll discover that your account has been automatically deleted from our database.Please note the total free number : +1 720-279-8631Copyright (c) VISA Debit Card, All Rights Reserved

Where should we start?  There are so many things about this email that really scream that it’s a scam.  Here’s a list of specifics:

1.       Misspellings: there are far too many misspellings in the above email (eg: Departament, Atempts, etc.).  There is absolutely no way an email would be sent from VISA that would have this many spelling errors.

2.       The email is sent to your work email address.  How would they have your work email address?

3.       They require you to call and go through a complete account update as a result of fraud attempts, and to unlock your account.  Is this standard operating procedure for a bank?

4.       Failure to respond leads to the deletion of your account?

5.       The ‘toll free’ number is not a toll free prefix.

The first rule of thumb to live by is this: “When in doubt, call the bank directly using the phone number on your statement”.    Be EXTREMELY suspicious of ANYTHING that arrives in email that is of a financial nature.  Banks and other financial institutions do not do this sort of business through email, or the Internet. 

The second thing to do is check the email against Snopes.com.  This website catalogs all of the email scams and hoaxes on the Internet.  You can easily do a search on the subject line of the email, or on keywords from the text of the message.  Check with Snopes before you start emailing your family and friends asking for advice. 

Third, Antiphishing.org is a clearing house for information in phishing trends and attacks.  Spending some time going through this site will give you a lot of insight into the phishing phenomenon.  Here’s the blurb from their website explaining their goals:

Anti-Phishing Working GroupThe Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) is the global pan-industrial and law enforcement association focused on eliminating the fraud and identity theft that result from phishing, pharming and email spoofing of all types.  

Other websites can also help in identifying phishing scams.  Here’s one from the Microsoft Knowledge Base on identifying fraudulent e-mails:

Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mails

How to read a credit report

You are likely to request a credit report now that you have been notified of a breach of personal information. The earlier post about ‘How to request your free annual credit report’ give specific instructions on how to order one now that you have placed a 90-day ‘fraud alert’.

But once you get your report, how do you read it? Here are some links to resources for interpreting your report:

• MSN Article: The Basics, How to read your credit report
• TranUnion PDF: Sample Credit Report with detailed explanations

Direct Links to Fraud Alert Forms

Some people are having difficulties finding the online forms for placing a 90-day ‘fraud alert’ on their credit. Here are some links to get you right to the forms:

• Equifax Online 90-day Fraud Alert Form
  
• Experian Credit Fraud Online Forms
  
• TransUnion Information (no form available online)
  

Be aware that these credit agencies also have services available to monitor your credit report. These are fee based services and are not related to the free 90-day ‘fraud alert’. If you call these companies you will likely be offered the fee services at some point during the call.

Please read the earlier 90-day ‘fraud alert’ post for more details on how this all works, and other options to extend the initial period.  (This information has been *updated*).  The extended fraud alert for 7 years requires that the person be an actual victim of identity theft, and that they provide a detailed individual police report (link to FTC website and description of fraud alerts)

RSS Feeds, what are they and how to use them

This blog is RSS enabled. RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication‘. It’s a simple way to publish information to the Internet. There are many RSS feed readers available for free on the Internet. The latest version of Internet Explorer includes the ability to set up RSS feeds.

Here’s a link to a Microsoft tutorial on how to set up RSS feeds:

How To Use RSS With Internet Explorer 7.0

By setting up this RSS feed in a reader or email program you will automatically get updates from this site as they are posted. To get the RSS feed URL you can click the (Entries) RSS button in the right column, or simply paste this link into your feed reader:

http://mcsid.wordpress.com/feed

The (Comments) RSS button will do nothing, as we have comments disabled on this blog.

Filing a Police Report

If your identity is stolen, and used illegally to obtain credit or to defraud, you need to file a police report. If you live in Modesto you will need to contact the Modesto Police Department:

• Modesto PD: Identity Theft
• Modesto PD Contact Numbers

Crimes involving credit cards require a written report, and cannot be made using the online form.

If you become aware of a case of fraud using your identity, please notify Modesto City Schools immediately. You can contact Dennis Snelling, Director, Business Services, at 575-7309.  You can also email Dennis at snelling.d@monet.k12.ca.us during non-business hours.   

How to request your free annual credit report

The second thing all Modesto City Schools employees should do, after placing the 90-day ‘fraud alert’ on their credit, is to request a copy of your credit report. Most people have never seen their credit report before. You might be surprised (and shocked) at what you find on it (especially the frequency of requests made by credit card companies).This is the only authorized website on the Internet for requesting your free annual credit report (this site is sponsored by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion):

AnnualCreditReport.com

You have to be very careful when requesting free credit reports online. There are many websites that try to get you to use them to request your free credit report. Many of these websites have the words ‘free’, ‘annual’, and ‘credit report’ in their URL to try to trick you. Some of these are firms offering credit monitoring services while other are simply trying to get you to give them your personal information so they can sell it our use it illegally.This FTC website gives additional information on free credit reports.

FTC Free Annual Credit Report Website

Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number

The Social Security Administration has an informational page up on Identity Theft:

Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number

There is nothing that the Social Security Administration requires to be reported if you suspect your information has been compromised, or if you think you have actual been a victim of identity theft. If you contact them they will refer you to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to file a report. One question that comes up is if an individual can request a new social security number. Here is their advice from the above link:

“Keep in mind that a new number probably will not solve all your problems. This is because other governmental agencies (such as the Internal Revenue Service and state motor vehicle agencies) and private businesses (such as banks and credit reporting companies) likely will have records under your old number. Also, because credit reporting companies use the number, along with other personal information, to identify your credit record, using a new number will not guarantee you a fresh start. This is especially true if your other personal information, such as your name and address, remains the same.”

Making a report to the FTC

Modesto City Schools has contacted the FTC and filed a report on the data theft incident involving Systematic Automation of Fullerton, California. The Federal Trade Commission allows consumers to file individual complaints online with their agency:

Report a Complaint to the FTC

The form for reporting identity theft asks for specific information about how your identity was used to obtain credit illegally, including the name of the identity thief and the companies where credit was opened in your name. This form can also be used to report inaccurate information that you find on your credit report.

In our conversation with the FTC, they indicated that individuals can file a report using this form even if they have not had a specific incident of theft occur yet. To do this simply fill in your personal information and include the following information in the Summary of Complaint section:

“I am an employee of Modesto City Schools. My personal data, including my social security number, was included in a data file that was stored on a desktop computer that was stolen from Systematic Automation, Inc. of Fullerton, CA on February 11, 2008.”

You do not have to put anything in the other fields of the form. By making this report you will not be doing anything to prevent potential identity theft. The FTC said that they would use the information to send you information on how to protect your identity, and other pamphlets that will be useful.

If you discover that your identity had been used to obtain credit illegally, you would use this same form. You would also immediatly file a police report with Modesto PD.  Modesto City Schools would also like to be notified immediately if you suspect this has happened.  Call Dennis Snelling, Director of Business Services, at 575-7309 to report any illegal use of your personal information.

California Office of Information Security and Privacy Protection

The California Office of Information Security and Privacy Protection has a lot of very good resources for consumers. Here are some links to some excellent resources:

• What to do if your personal information is compromised
  
• Identity Theft Victim Checklist (PDF)
  
• Your Social Security Number: Controlling the Key to Identity Theft
  
• Top 10 Tips for Identity Theft Protection (PDF)

Many more documents are available from their Identity Theft resource page.

The 90-day ‘Fraud Alert’ and ‘Freezing’ your credit

Initial 90-day “fraud alert’: Everyone we had contact with in the hours after the report of the break in at Systematic Automation, Inc. recommended that we get information out to our employees to have them place a 90-day ‘fraud alert’ with one of the three credit agencies. The credit agencies share information, so it is only necessary to file with one agency.

Fraud Alert Contact Information

Equifax
888-766-0008
Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, Ga. 30374
www.equifax.com

Experian
888-397-3742
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, Texas 75013
www.experian.com

TransUnion
800-680-7289
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, Pa. 19022
www.transunion.com

When you place this fraud alert on your credit you will be asked for a phone number where you can be contacted so creditors can verify your identity before they approve any new accounts. While this fraud alert is on your credit report, you will likely not be able to get “instant” credit (like the booths at Wallmart or other retail establishments).

Once you file an alert you are eligible for a free annual credit report. You can request one from each of the three credit agencies.

Extending the ‘fraud alert (this information has been *updated*): This 90-day alert can be extended to 7 years at no cost if you are an actual victim of identiy theft by providing a police report to one of the three credit agencies. See this link for specific information on an extended alert at the FTC website.  To remove the extended ‘fraud alert’ you will need to make a request in writing.

Freezing your credit: In California consumers have the option to freeze their credit.

The California Office of Information Security & Privacy provides information on how to freeze your credit at their website. They provide the following document for consumers who want to freeze their credit:

How to “Freeze” Your Credit Files (7 page PDF file)

Freezing your credit is recommended as the only sure way to lock down your credit. This method works well if you are not someone who is out applying for new credit very often.  It causes the consumer to have to take a more active role in managing who can access their credit. No new accounts or credit can be taken out in your name once a freeze has been placed. If you are married, you need to freeze both spouses individually. Placing a freeze on your credit costs $10. In order for you to open new credit (for example to buy a new car or TV) you will need to thaw, or lift the freeze, for a few days. This cost’s $12 each time you lift the freeze.

Be sure to read and understand the above document on freezing your credit before placing a freeze on your credit.

February 13, 2008 email update

On February 13, 2008 at 2:41pm we sent out a third update on the data theft incident in response to questions and comments being made by our employees:

Email Message:

This afternoon has seen an increase in employee broadcast emails attempting to give advice.  If everyone could please take a breath, step back, and wait for the process to work you will all have the information that is necessary in the coming days.   

In response to the one about the Social Security Administration and FTC: As will be posted on the website tomorrow, here is the information on “SUSPECTED” compromise of Social Security Numbers:

Link from Social Security Administration:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html

FTC  Information Compromised?

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/compromised.html

And the online form to file a complaint with the FTC if you suspect your information has been compromised

https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03

We have been working with all of the organizations and agencies in gathering correct and relevant information for our employees, and getting it out as quickly as possible.  The immediate concern and advice was to get everyone to place a ‘fraud alert’ on their credit.  The FTC complaint form is for filing a complaint if you believe you have been a victim of identity theft.  I will remind everyone that we have no evidence as of today that this has occurred with anyone’s identity in this district as a result of this incident.  

A full range of information will be available tomorrow from our website that will provide many more resources for our employees.

Again, PLEASE refrain from sending out this kind of information.  While well intentioned, these messages make it difficult for us to send a coordinated message to all employees.

A mailing was sent to all district employees and should arrive at your homes tomorrow or Friday.  It includes the information we sent out Monday.  This is not new information, but is meant to make sure we communicate with substitute or other employees without district email, or employees who have been on vacation or ill during this time. 

This letter is also available from the online Modesto Bee at: http://media.modbee.com/smedia/2008/02/11/17/Modesto_City_Schools_ID_theft_memo.source.prod_affiliate.11.pdf

February 12, 2008 email update

On February 12, 2008 at 10:24am we sent out an update on the data theft incident in response to emails and questions that we had received as a result of the prior day’s email:

Email Message

There’s a lot of buzz this morning about the data theft yesterday.  We want to clarify a few things, and empower our employees with the information they need to effectively protect their credit and identities moving forward.

-          The data that was lost in the break in yesterday only contained the personal information of current permanent employees of the district (no substitutes, retirees, student, etc.).  There was no data on spouses or dependent children in the file. 

-          To place a ‘fraud alert’ on your credit report you technically only need to call one of the credit agencies listed in the email yesterday, they are all supposed to share that data.  You can call all three if you want to be sure.

-          The Superintendent has approved your making calls to these credit agencies from work, you do not need to wait until you get home.  We want you to be able to deal with this as quickly as necessary. 

-          We have been getting calls from employees this morning who are calling Equifax and getting sales pitches for their credit protection service for $14.95/month.  It costs nothing to place the ‘fraud alert’ on your credit report.  They are trying to sell you their service.

-          By the end of the week we will have a webpage up on the district website with information resources for you to use to help in protecting your identity and credit, and to avoid falling victim to fraudulent Internet services offering “free credit reports” and other unnecessary services.

We will get additional information to you as quickly as possible in the coming days.   

If you have employees that do not have district email, please print and pass along this information for their benefit. 

If you have any immediate concerns, please contact Louise Baker, Supervisor of Payroll and Benefits, either by district e-mail or by phone at 576-4192.

Initial email to District employees

An email was sent on February 11, 2008 at 1:52pm to all district employees. This was the first notification made as a result of this incident. A letter was also sent out by US Postal Services to all district employees that duplicated this emailed information:

Email Message

We learned this morning of a theft of a computer in Fullerton, California from the company that publishes our employee benefits booklet. The information on the stolen computer contained social security numbers of all district employees and after conversations with the officers of the company, we have concerns about the security of the data.

As the memo states, we will be re-evaluating the security measures of all agencies to which we send employee information. While we are sending information in an encrypted format, at least one agency is not keeping it that way.

We will be meeting with the County’s High Tech Crimes unit later this week and will update you further as more information becomes available. We also have our attorney in contact with the company that was responsible for not securing the information in a way to prevent this potential breach. While we are hopeful that nothing will happen, this breach is serious enough that it cannot be ignored and we must suggest the best ways to safeguard yourselves in case the worst happens.

Supervisors: for employees who do not have computers, please see that they receive this information.

We will be sending a copy of this out by mail this week.

Please read the attached information on what happened and the best steps to protect yourself at this point.

<<Notification of Possible ID Theft.doc>>

Dennis Snelling, CFE, CICA, Director, Business Services, Modesto City Schools

The attached Word Document ‘Possible ID Theft.doc’ contained the following information:

WHAT HAPPENED?

We were notified that at about four o’clock this morning, the company that publishes our employee benefit booklets, Systematic Automation—located in Fullerton, California—was burglarized. Three monitors and one computer were stolen. The computer contained information on all district employees, including social security numbers. While the information sent to Systematic Automation was encrypted, when they extract the information it is unencrypted and stored in an Access Database. From the contacts we have had with the company, we question the security of the computer that was stolen.

Please read the information below for recommended next steps.

If after reading the information you have any immediate concerns, please contact Louise Baker, Supervisor of Payroll and Benefits, at 576-4192.

AM I A VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT?

Not necessarily. Identity theft is the unauthorized use of personal identification to commit fraud or other crimes. At this time, the information on the computer might be considered as an occurrence of data theft. While there is no indication that your information has been misused or disclosed in such a way that would adversely affect you, we want you to be fully informed about this matter.

We recommend that all Modesto City Schools employees place a fraud alert on their credit file as a preventative measure against identity theft in the event that the data is compromised.

To place a fraud alert, which tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts, call any one of the three major credit bureaus. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts. All three credit reports will be sent to you, free of charge, for your review.

Equifax (800) 525-6285; http://www.fraudalerts.equifax.com

Experian (888) 397-3742

TransUnion Corp (800) 680-7289.

HOW WOULD I KNOW IF INFORMATION WAS MISUSED?

Routinely monitor your financial accounts and billing statements. Be alert and respond immediately if:

• Bills do not arrive as expected
• Unexpected credit cards or account statements arrive
• Credit is denied for no known reason
• You receive calls or letters about purchases you did not make
• You receive e-mails, calls or letters asking you for personal information 
• More detailed information about an appropriate precautionary response can be found at http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check you credit reports periodically. Checking your credit reports can help you spot problems and address them quickly.

If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or have reason to believe your information is being misused, contact the creditor involved. This suspicious activity, if found, may or may not be related to this incident. You should file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or at 1-877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338).

ARE THERE ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS?

Routinely review your credit report for accuracy. To obtain a free credit report once a year, visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com
or call 877-322-8228. A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. Only one website is authorized for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law – http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.

Some “imposter” sites use terms like “free report” in their names; others have URLs that purposely misspell http://www.annualcreitreport.com in the hope that you will mistype the name of the official site. Some of these “imposter” sites direct you to other sites that try to sell you something or collect your personal information.

www.annualcreditreport.com and the nationwide consumer reporting companies will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from http://www.annualcreditreport.com or any of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. It’s probably a scam. Forward any such email to the FTC at htt://www.spam@uce.gov.

SHOULD I BUY IDENTITY THEFT COVERAGE?

Some products offer you protection against the costs associated with resolving an identity theft case. When deciding whether or not to purchase identity theft insurance, please consider that the law provides significant protection to victims of identify theft. Also some homeowner’s or renter’s insurance might already provide you with identify theft protection.

WHAT WILL THE DISTRICT DO TO PROTECT MY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION?

The district is required to distribute information, including your social security number, to several outside agencies. The district provides the information according to the format required by the authorized agency. Every attempt is made to protect the data including the use of secure web sites, of password protected file transfer protocol, and of delivery services. According to the Federal Trade Commission, “It is almost impossible to be in business today and not collect or hold personally identifying information – names and addresses, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, or other account numbers – about your customers, employees, business partners, students or patients.”

The district will be re-evaluating the security measures of all outside agencies to which we send employee information.

Data Theft Incident Information

Between 4:00am and 5:00am (*updated* exact time of the break in was at 4:34am) on Monday February 11, 2008 there was a break in at Systematic Automation Inc. in Fullerton, California. This is the company that publishes the annual employee benefits booklet. The break in has been described as a “smash and grab”. Three computer monitors and one computer were stolen.The desktop computer that was stolen contained a data file that included the personal information of approximately 3,500 Modesto City Schools employees. The data only included employee data, no personal data on dependents or spouses of employees were in the file.

The Fullerton Police Department has assigned case number 08-11054. A copy of the police report has been requested and will be made available to our employees sometime during the week of February 18^th (police reports take up to 5 business days to become available).