55,000 guest IDS stolen.

55,000 GUEST IDS STOLEN. The identities of some 55,000 customers of major Bahamas resort Atlantis have been exposed to possible identity fraud following the theft of personal information from the hotel, the owners said, reports Reuters (Jan. 8, 2006):

Kerzner International Ltd., owner of the luxury 2,300-room Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, revealed details of the data theft in a document filed with the Bahamas Securities and Exchange Commission. Information stolen included names, addresses, credit card details, social security numbers, drivers license numbers and bank account data, the filing said. The information appears to have gone missing from the hotel's computer database and was the work of either an insider or outside hacker;

The Atlantis hotel management is notifying affected customers in writing so they can take steps to protect themselves from possible identity fraud. The hotel is also providing, at no cost to customers, a credit monitoring service for a year. The filing by Kerzner said around 55,000 customers are thought to be affected. Atlantis has notified Bahamian and U.S. law enforcement agencies and is co-operating with them. Atlantis is one of the world's landmark resort destinations. Thousands of tourists--mainly Americans--flock there every week to enjoy its casino and beachfront attractions. It employs more than 5,000 Bahamians and is a major player in the country's economy.