Computer injustice
The government agency that prosecutes identity thefts now finds itself in the role of potential victim. U.S. News has learned that a computer containing the names and government credit card account numbers for U.S. Department of Justice personnel is missing from the Fairfax, Va., headquarters of Omega World Travel, which handles business travel arrangements for the department.
According to a May 13 Justice Department memo, the computer contained password-protected names, travel card account numbers, prior lost/stolen card accounts, and expiration dates for the credit cards. The memo says no personal address information, Social Security numbers, or employees' office locations were on the missing computer. The memo says JP Morgan Chase and Bank One, the issuers of the credit cards, are monitoring the Justice Department accounts for suspicious activity. An Omega representative declined to answer questions and referred inquiries to Justice.The Justice Department says no mass cancellation of credit cards is planned. An FBI spokesperson said the bureau is attempting to determine with more clarity exactly what data exist on the computer and how much of it might have been compromised.