MISSOURI UPDATE COMPUTER STOLEN WEB UPDATE: Crosslines to keep helping despite burglary - Carthage, MO - Carthage Press

CARTHAGE, Mo. -

An emotional Belle Lown, director of Crosslines Ministries, vowed to continue helping people in and around Carthage despite the burglary last week that saw personal records for about 2,000 people stolen and possibly compromised.

Lown said the person who broke into the building sometime late Thursday or early Friday seemed to know what he or she was looking for and may have been trying to make Lown's job more difficult.

"It had to be someone who had been in the building before," Lown said. "My computer, my keyboard and my printer were ripped off. We share an office with Economic Security and their computer was not touched. Even my assistant's computer was not touched. I hope it was someone mad at me, targeting me, someone who had no desire to do anything but make my life miserable."'

Lown said whoever got into the building breached a fairly sophisticated security system to get in.

"We're beefing up security in the building," Lown said.

Crosslines has been working to help the less fortunate in Carthage for 23 years, and Lown has been director of the aid group for 22 and a half years.

Carthage Police Det. Randee Kaiser said the burglary happened sometime between the time the last person left the building about 5 p.m. Thursday and when the burglary was discovered and police were called at 7:57 a.m. on Friday.

Kaiser said hard copy files with personal information about approximately 2,000 people were stolen along with other items.

Lown said the burglar also got her computer system. The burglar also seemed to be looking for specific items in Crosslines' inventory of clothing, food, soap and toiletries, and other products.

She said the burglar took specific sizes of diapers and clothes, enough hamburger meat for a family, soap and toothpaste, and other items.

Lown said she's not concerned about the clothes, food and other items stolen, but she is concerned about the information in the computer and files.

"My biggest prayer is that we get the computer back with nothing compromised," an emotional Lown said. "I can even replace the printer and as for the other items, I don't care. My biggest concern is my clients and their personal information."

Kaiser recommended that anyone who has given personal information belonging to themselves or family members to Crosslines should take steps to avoid potential identitytheft.

Some of those steps should include contacting the fraud department of each of the three major credit bureaus.

"Tell them to flag your file with a fraud alert including a statement that creditors should get your permission before opening any new accounts in your name," Carthage police said in a written release. "At the same time you can ask the credit bureaus for copies of your credit report. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your credit report if it is inaccurate because of fraud. Review your credit reports carefully and in a few months, order new copies of your credit reports to verify that no new fraudulent activity has occurred. You do not need to order your credit score."

Kaiser said the three credit bureaus and their contact information are Equifax, 1-800-525-6285, www.equifax.com; Experian, 1-888-397-3742, www.experian.com; Trans Union, 1-800-680-7289, www.tuc.com.

Lown said Crosslines will be closed on Monday for the President's Day holiday, but it will continue to be open from 8 a.m.-noon, Monday-Friday at it's offices at 600 E. Sixth St. in Carthage.