Records on 700,000 People at Risk in Collection Agency Server Theft

A server containing personal information on some 700,000 people was stolen from a collection agency in Indiana last month prompting concerns over how that information may be used, according to an Associated Press article over the weekend.

Central Collection Bureau, Inc., based in Indianapolis, said that eight computers and a server were taken from its office on March 21. The server contained the personal information -- including names, addresses and Social Security numbers – of as many as 700,000 people. The information consisted of billing and past-due records of consumers the collection agency was pursuing on behalf of clients.

The company said in a press release that three locked doors were breached to obtain the server. The company also said that the data on the machine was password-protected but not encrypted.

"We're obviously heartsick about this," Chet Klene, the company's president, told the AP. "We've been in business since 1972, and nothing like this has ever happened before."

Central Collection offers collection services across several sectors, including health care and medical debt and child support payments.

Police have not yet found the missing equipment and the Indiana attorney general is currently investigating the incident.