PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTER CONTAINING CUSTOMER INFORMATION STOLEN FROM BANKAP Wire | 12/01/2005 | Laptop containing customer information stolen from bankPosted on Thu, Dec. 01, 2005

Laptop containing customer information stolen from bank
Associated Press


PHILADELPHIA - A laptop computer containing account information for thousands of customers was stolen from a bank by a man pretending to be with a cleaning crew, officials said.

Firstrust Bank in northeast Philadelphia sent a letter to all of its customers this week, warning of the possibility of identity theft. The bank declined to say how many current and former customers may have had their information stolen.

The man entered the bank on Nov. 9 and talked a security guard into letting him in, saying he was with a cleaning crew and heading to the basement. The suspect, carrying an empty box, instead went up to a fourth-floor office, Philadelphia police Capt. John McGinnis said Thursday.

Less than three minutes later, he left with the computer.

"He went in there with the express intent of stealing the laptop," McGinnis said, adding that he did not know how the man knew exactly where to go and which laptop to take.

Police are reviewing video of the man coming and leaving, but they said no one can identify the suspect at this point.

The computer was password protected, Firstrust said. The bank said in a statement that it had received no reports of identity theft, and that there was no indication the theft was aimed at obtaining the customer information.