JAPAN COMPUTER STOLEN FROM INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICEMainichi Interactive - Top NewsComputer containing customer info swiped from insurance office

YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa -- A computer containing personal information on more than 1,000 policyholders of Nisshin Fire & Marine Insurance Co. has been stolen from the office of an agent here, company officials said.

The computer records the names, addresses and phone numbers of 1,087 customers as well as the details of the cars and houses covered by their insurance policies.

The owner of the agency in Yokosuka showed up at the office on the morning of Nov. 13 to find the lock on the front door broken and the computer missing from the office, and reported the incident to police.

Investigators suspect that the computer was stolen sometime between 6 p.m. Nov. 12, by which time all the employees had gone home, and the following morning.

The company sent letters of apology to all the policyholders about the incident. (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Nov. 19, 2004)