Data Breach Alert: California Department of Consumer affairs personnel specialist under investigation

Posted by Caitlin on July 11th, 2008

Until recently, Rachael Rivas Dumbrique worked as a personnel specialist for the California Department of Consumer Affairs. On June 6, her last day of work at Consumer Affairs, she copied a confidential roster with more than 5,000 employee names, addresses and Social Security numbers and sent it to her personal email account. Fortunately, special security software alerted Consumer Affairs data security officials to the breach that same day, and officials sent letters to employees warning them of the breach and offering free credit reports and $25,000 worth of fraud insurance.

Investigators were alarmed when they discovered that Rachael Dumbrique was married in November to Edward Dumbrique, a member of the Mexican Mafia who is currently serving 25 years in prison for a gang-related murder in 1997. No charges have been filed yet and the investigation is ongoing.

If you are concerned about identity theft, you should consider using an identity theft protection service.