A computer containing confidential information on mortgage customers of Wells Fargo has been reported as missing and may have been stolen.
The machine disappeared while being transported by a global express shipping company between Wells Fargo facilities. The West Coast bank says there is no indication that the information on the missing computer equipment has been accessed or misused and that the machine used two layers of security, making it difficult to crack.
Police investigating the incident believe the machine may have been jacked for its hardware rather than information.
The bank has notified affected customers and is offering a one-year free credit monitoring subscription and encouraging customers to review all of their financial accounts regularly and report any suspicious activity immediately.
In November 2003, Wells Fargo offered a $100,000 reward for information leading directly to the arrest and conviction of burglars who stole a computer containing confidential customer data from an analyst's office in Concord, California.