The state’s Office of Policy and Management is Connecticut is notifying 11,000 residents who applied for state furnace rebates that their personal information may have been stolen.
Hartford Police contacted OPM Secretary Robert Genuario on Friday to tell him they believe a temporary worker attempted to use personal information obtained from one of the rebate forms. The temporary worker left the agency in May 2009 and background checks done prior to her employment showed there was nothing in her background to disqualify her from handling the information. The state is hiring a personal identity theft protection to help those affected.
An estimated 11,000 applied to the program during the time the temporary worker was at the department entering personal information into its computers.
The rebate program ran from August 2008 to March 10.
Anyone who believes they may qualify for the identity theft protection is urged to call 1866-940-4676 between the hours of 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. this week. Next week that phone line will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.