STATESVILLE, N.C., May 2, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Iredell County Tax Collector's Office today issued a statewide notice about a recent incident involving unauthorized access to information.
On Tuesday, April 22, a courier vehicle providing services for First Citizens Bank was stolen in Charlotte. The courier was transporting a shipment containing data related to Iredell County tax payments received on April 21st. Charlotte law enforcement officials are investigating the incident, but the contents of the shipment have not been recovered.
The stolen shipment contained a computer report of 468 taxpayer's check information, including account numbers, check numbers, check amounts and routing numbers from various banks on which the checks were drawn. There were also copies of tax bills that contained taxpayer names, addresses and other public information related to tax payments.
Iredell County officials are working to notify taxpayers whose information was identified as being included in the stolen shipment. First Citizens Bank is notifying the banks of all taxpayers whose checks were processed and deposited. Iredell County and First Citizens Bank are working to ensure measures are in place to avoid a recurrence of an incident like this in the future. In addition, the County is recommending that taxpayers follow standard procedures for protecting themselves against identity theft, including reviewing financial accounts and notifying their banks if there is any suspicious activity. Taxpayers are also being advised to obtain and review free credit reports.
The County has confirmed that tax payments were received and processed for the 468 identified taxpayers whose information was involved in the incident. Those taxpayers will receive a letter from the County confirming that no further action is required on their part. An additional 61 unprocessed items in the shipment could not be identified as having come from a particular taxpayer. Taxpayers who mailed in payments the week of April 14-19, 2008, who do not receive a confirmation letter from the County and whose checks have not cleared their banks should contact the Iredell County Tax Collector's Office at (704) 878-3020.