~ Merlin Information hit by a data theft ~

Sadly, merlindata.com, one of the most respected database companies by private investigators, has experienced a theft of personal information, by a customer posing as an investment advisor. Information on almost 9,000 people, 2,700 of whom are Californians was stolen before the theft was identified. The FBI is apparently on the trail of the suspect.

Data thefts, breaches and hacking are becoming routine due to the universal reliance on computer storage and transfer of data. But, unlike ChoicePoint, which kept multiple personal information thefts under wraps, Merlin Information Services has come clean and extended a generous, unique offer, even though there are no identified victims. I gather that the same rouge "businesses" are making the rounds at the various database companies but ChoicePoint hasn't shared its list of known violators, which, undoubtedly, could have prevented this current theft.

"We, of course, immediately apologized," Dores said, and the company fired off a letter this week to those whose personal records were shared. The company also offered those affected a year's worth of credit monitoring at no cost, and bought a $50,000 identity theft insurance policy for each of the 8,998 people."And we set up a hotline they can call if anything suspicious turns up," she said. Read the article and another one here