Stolen file holds data on Comcast customers.

Byline: Joe Mosley The Register-Guard

Greg Shaver can joke about it now, but he wasn't laughing when he was told he is one of about 1,200 potential victims of identity theft, after a car containing a file of Comcast customers' personal data was stolen from Eugene's Valley River Center parking lot last week.

"I haven't known who I was ever since," Shaver quipped on Thursday.

The former Springfield city councilor got a taste of identity theft when his wife's purse and the couple's credit cards were stolen a few years back, and he's become cautious about divulging personal information.

That's why he refused to give his Social Security number when he phoned cable provider Comcast recently to order cable Internet access. He reluctantly gave the sales representative his driver's license number when told his order could not be processed otherwise, but he now regrets doing so.

"We've been down that identity theft road far enough to know we never want to go back," Shaver said.

"Comcast has compromised our credit, and put themselves at needless risk (of customer claims)," Shaver said. "Their corporate policy needs to change."

Comcast said it is improving security.

The paper files of customer service agreements were locked in the trunk of a car belonging to an employee of Comcast's Valley River kiosk on May 5. The woman discovered that her car had been stolen when she went to the parking lot after work.

Eugene Police spokeswoman Pam Olshanski said the matter is being handled as a stolen vehicle case, and there is no evidence to date that any of the missing data - which includes names, Social Security numbers, drivers' license numbers and dates of birth - has been used to commit fraud.

"We don't have anything that indicates it has been," Olshanski said. "For that matter, we don't even know if the information has been discovered (by the thief). But certainly if it was, it would be an easy avenue for whoever did this to commit identity theft."

Theressa Davis, a spokeswoman for Comcast in Portland, said the company has taken whatever steps it can to minimize fraud damage resulting from the incident and to prevent similar problems in the future.

"Comcast deeply regrets that this occurred," Davis said. "We take our customers' safety and security very seriously.

"That's why we are calling and proactively communicating with all potentially affected customers."

All customers whose service agreements were stolen have been contacted and offered free, one-year memberships to the Experian Triple Advantage credit monitoring service. This allows them to monitor their credit reports at the three major credit bureaus for any unusual activity.

Comcast also has offered to pay for "fraud resolution services" - which help victims through the process of dealing with identity theft - for any customers whose stolen data leads to fraud.

Also, the company has promised a $50,000, no-deductible identity theft insurance policy to ensure that no customers lose money as a result of last week's theft.

In addition, the cable company is reviewing its security policies and already has purchased document shredders to be used at all kiosk locations such as the one at Valley River Center, Davis said.

"After the horses were stolen, they've been very good at locking the barn door," said Shaver, the former Springfield city councilor. "It sounds like they're being properly reactive, if not proactive."

At Comcast, Davis could not say why the service agreements were being stored in the trunk of an employee's car, and declined to comment on any disciplinary action taken against the employee.

"We're investigating why it happened, and are going to continue to enhance our security," she said. "We're investigating the entire incident - how and why it happened. But I can't be specific about it."

Diane Rogers of Eugene, another Comcast customer whose service agreement was in the stolen car, said she thought someone was trying to dupe her when a company representative contacted her this week to alert her of the theft.

Rogers hadn't dealt with Comcast since a few days after Christmas and didn't remember even filling out a form with personal information.

"At first, when the woman called ... I thought it was a scam," Rogers said. "Then when I finished my phone call with her I called the Eugene Police Department, and they said, `Oh yes, we know about that.' '

The missing files primarily involved transactions that have occurred at Comcast's Valley River kiosk during the past seven months.

However, some also were from contacts the employee made away from the kiosk and from telephone transactions that were transferred to the kiosk from other locations.

"But if a customer has not been called or does not get a letter (from Comcast), they were not affected," Davis said.

The stolen car is a green, four-door, 1997 Honda Accord with a University of Oregon "O" on the trunk, and bears the license plate 993 BBQ.

Anyone who has seen the stolen car or has information about the case may contact the Eugene Police Department at 682-5111.

CAPTION(S):

Greg Shaver is one of the Comcast customers facing worries of identity theft.