2 SUSPENDED IN GEEK SQUAD INVESTIGATION SNOOPING ALLEGATIONS PROBED.Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, -- Two Best Buy Geek Squad The Geek Squad is a subsidiary of the Best Buy Company and is based in Richfield, Minnesota [1]. Originally founded in 1994 by Robert Stephens, it offers various computer-related services and accessories for residential and commercial clients. members have been suspended and the entire local operation is under investigation after a former employee accused his former co-workers of snooping in files in computers left for repairs, a company spokeswoman said. The company declined Monday to discuss the scope of the inquiry. "It's really important for us to protect the integrity of the investigation, so the details of the investigation must remain confidential at this time," said Paula Baldwin, a senior manager for the Richfield, Minn.,-based company. "We have suspended two employees at this store location, and are continuing our investigation in an accelerated manner," she said. Allegations have surfaced on the Internet in the past few months about rogue "Geek Squad" agents nationwide copying music, pornography and risque ris·qué adj. Suggestive of or bordering on indelicacy or impropriety. [French, from past participle of risquer, to risk, from risque, risk; see risk.] Adj. photos from customers' computers. The company, which operates 863 stores nationwide and hundreds more worldwide, ranks as the largest U.S. specialty retailer of consumer electronics. Best Buy bought "Geek Squad" in 2002 and relies on the troubleshooters to perform computer repairs in its store and to provide tech-support house calls night and day. Baldwin declined to discuss whether the inquiry is confined con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. to the Santa Clarita store or is more widespread. Whistleblower whis·tle·blow·er or whis·tle-blow·er or whistle blower n. One who reveals wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority: "The Pentagon's most famous whistleblower is . . Brett Haddock haddock: see cod. haddock Valuable North American food fish (Melanogrammus aeglefinus, family Gadidae). A bottom-dweller that feeds on invertebrates and fishes, it resembles the cod, with its chin barbel (fleshy feeler) and two anal and three dorsal , 22, said last week that a couple of co-workers at the store on Bouquet bouquet a structure resembling a cluster of flowers. Canyon Road targeted attractive girls who brought in their computers for repairs, copying photos for their own use. Best Buy encourages employees to report activities that might violate company policy, Baldwin said. Yet Haddock said he reported the misbehavior to a manager more than six months ago and believed as of last week that some who infiltrated customers' files were still working at the store. Haddock, who had worked at the store for about a year, said most of the dozen or so squad members were conscientious. He quit in April and now works as a full-time programmer for a software-design company. Best Buy reported net earnings of $763 million for the fiscal fourth quarter that ended in March. judy.orourke@dailynews.com (661) 257-5255 |
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