ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, Inc.'s Residential Mortgage Customer Data Lost in Route to Credit Bureau: Package Shipped to Credit Bureau Presumed Lost2 March 2006
ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, Inc., a subsidiary of LaSalle Bank Corporation, announced today that a computer tape containing data of approximately 2 million residential mortgage customers was lost while being transported by DHL. The tape did not contain any data related to any LaSalle Bank personal or business accounts other than residential mortgages. At this time, the company has no knowledge that the data on this tape has been misused.
"We understand that this incident may cause concern for our customers, and we deeply regret that it has occurred," said Thomas M. Goldstein, chairman and chief executive officer of ABN AMRO Mortgage Group. "We have begun notifying our customers and are dedicating resources to assist them and to answer any questions they may have. Although we have no reason to believe that this information has been misused, we are also informing them of steps they can take to protect themselves."
In addition, the company has arranged for its residential mortgage customers to enroll in a credit monitoring service, at their choice, for 90 days at no cost to them. Once they enroll, they will be notified of any activity related to their credit report so they can take necessary action.
A package containing the computer tape was picked up by DHL from the company's Chicago data processing center on November 18 and did not arrive at its intended destination at an Experian credit bureau facility in Allen, Texas. Data on the tape included residential mortgage customer names, account information, payment histories and Social Security numbers.
As the company learned about this, it immediately began an internal investigation and asked DHL to search for the tape and conduct an investigation. Law enforcement has been alerted and the company has implemented measures to check for any unusual activity suggesting misuse -- at this time, none has been found.
The company has also notified the appropriate regulatory agencies, including the Office of the Comptroller of Currency and the Federal Reserve Board.
"Following the loss of the tape containing the data, we suspended the physical tape transfers to the credit bureau companies and are transmitting that customer data from our Chicago data processing center exclusively by secure and encrypted electronic means," added Goldstein.
For customers, the bank has established a special Web site, info.mortgage.com, which provides information about the incident and the assistance available to customers.
About ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, Inc.
ABN AMRO Mortgage Group is one of the largest loan originators and loan servicers in the United States. ABN AMRO Mortgage Group produces mortgage loans and provides related services through its various divisions. ABN AMRO Mortgage Group has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout the United States.
Source: prnewswire
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