Patients at a Mill Valley medical office have been warned that credit card numbers and other personal information may have been compromised after a computer was stolen in a recent burglary.

"Many of our patient's (sic) personal data was stolen including credit card information," Dr. Morgan Camp wrote in an email sent to patients Sunday. "If you had a credit card on file with us, we have been advised to tell you to cancel it."

The computer was discovered missing the morning of June 6 by an employee at Camp's office at 125 Camino Alto, police said.

The employee arrived at work to find papers and equipment strewn about the floor and drawers left open, but no sign of forced entry, said Mill Valley police Sgt. Paul Wrapp. In addition to the computer — a Mac mini compact desktop model — missing items included a credit card verification machine and approximately $150 in cash.

No suspects have been identified, and the burglary is still under investigation, Wrapp said.

It is not unusual for burglars to target medical offices, but obtaining patient data is not a common motive, he said.

"Generally, when it's a medical office being targeted — which we've had lots of them — it's because somebody wants to get their fix," he said, referring to prescription medication.

Mill Valley has seen a number of commercial burglaries in recent months, and targets have included a veterinary office and a dental office.

Camp, who specializes in integrative medicine, hormone balance and nutrition, could not be reached for comment, so information on how many clients may be at risk was not immediately available. According to the newsletter, the personal information on the computer was password-protected and the credit card information was stored in a hidden location.

Linda Foley, founder of San Diego-based Identify Theft Resource Center, said drugs are often the target in medical burglaries, and Camp's patients should not panic.

"It just depends on the thief," she said. "They may be trying to sell the computer as quickly as possible and make the money off it. If this is a street thief, they may not have the skills or understand how to use this (credit card) information."

It may not be necessary for patients to cancel their credit cards because the password protection could prevent access to the data, Foley said.

"Rather than jump the gun, what we try to do is tell people to sort of take a breath first," she said.

"Monitor the statements that you get every month or check every week and see what's going on online."
Contact Will Jason via email at wjason@marinij.com