TEXAS COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM LIFE CARE MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLCComputer theft prompts LifeCare to warn workersComputer theft prompts LifeCare to warn workers
Saturday, May 21, 2005

By Christopher Snowbeck, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The theft of six laptop computers in Texas this week has left some local workers wondering if the thief is targeting their bank accounts or ruining their credit.

The computers were stolen Wednesday from the corporate office of LifeCare Management Services LLC, a Plano, Texas, company that owns LifeCare Hospital in Wilkinsburg. The company has about 3,000 employees in nine states, including about 440 locally.

The computers were used for normal business activities such as payroll processing and internal audits, so they likely contained personal information about many employees, said Jimmie Stapleton, executive vice president of administration for LifeCare Management Services. In a memo distributed to employees, the company said the personal information might have included names, home addresses, Social Security numbers and bank routing numbers.

"We hope that [the motive] isn't identity theft," Stapleton said. "It might be someone looking to turn around and make a buck on a computer."

Carl Duke, public information officer for the Plano Police Department, said someone posing as a member of the cleaning crew apparently walked in and took the computers. There have been no arrests.

Employes were advised to place fraud alerts on their credit files, which tell creditors to contact the employee before opening any new accounts or making changes to existing accounts.

LifeCare further recommended that employees periodically check their credit reports, even if an initial call to a credit bureau does not reveal any suspicious activity. An internal company hot line for employee assistance is available at 1-866-616-8978.


California companies are required to notify residents whenever personal data has been compromised due to computer theft, and several high-profile security breaches in recent months have prompted calls for similar federal legislation.
But Stapleton said Life Care's memo to workers was not required by any law. "We felt it was the best thing to do."

The 155-bed acute care hospital specializes in the care of patients who require hospitalization for 25 days or more.