Wells Warns of Mortgage Data Loss

Wells Fargo is notifying certain of its home mortgage customers and prospective customers that a computer carrying their information has gone missing, and it is encouraging them to take precautionary steps.An unnamed global express shipping company was transporting the computer between unidentified Wells Fargo facilities when it disappeared. "There is no indication that the information on the computer equipment has been accessed or misused," Wells said. "The computer has two layers of security, making it difficult to access the information. Nevertheless, individuals whose information was stored on the equipment are being notified by mail." Law enforcement originally asked Wells Fargo to delay notification, indicating that it would hurt their investigation. They have since informed the company that this is no longer a concern and indicated they believe that, if theft was involved, it was for hardware rather than information. The company said the equipment "contained confidential information … including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and mortgage loan account numbers." Wells can be found on the Web at http://www.wellsfargo.com.