Personal identification documents allegedly found in KU's trash
6:27 p.m. Wednesday, September 19, 2007
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The University of Kansas has launched an investigation into how area media received documents listing the personal information of hundred of students. These documents include immigration forms, copies of Social Security cards, final exams and transcript release forms. According to an anonymous letter that came with the documents, all of the information was found in trash.
"To know that they're being thrown out is kind of ridiculous," said Jawad Ahmad, senior at KU. "I understand it's a big university, but Social Security numbers are important to everyone."
They're especially important to people who have had their identity stolen. KU sophomore Clint Andrews said he spends up to $500 per year in extra liability coverage on his credit cards.
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More information about identity theft and how to prevent it is available from the Federal Trade Commission's Web site, www.ftc.gov.
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous and they should be held accountable," he said.
Anonymous sources gathered the materials and sent them to media outlets and maybe others. The University isn't sure who obtained the documents and how. Young Han Lester is one of the student's whose information was sent out.
"I pay them my money to come here. I live here, I eat their food, they teach me things," he said. "It's a relationship where you have to have a lot of trust."
That trust was shaken Wednesday when he found out total strangers had access to his personal information.
"Clearly, this information was mishandled," said Lynn Bretz, Director Of University Communications at KU. "If someone can take personal records, make copies of them and send them to media in the area, something has gone wrong."
What's not so clear is what exactly went wrong. Students say the University uses a seven-digit identification number in place of a Social Security number. Many we spoke with said they didn't think the University mishandled personal information on a regular basis. Now KU is looking for possible holes in their program.
"We're launching a major initiative, the provost announced it several weeks ago, an information management initiative that's going to review our current guidelines," Bretz said.
And students hope the university that teaches them so much will learn from this event.
"I think it's just a lesson that needed to be learned," said KU freshman Amanda Lang. "They should discard people's numbers, or students' ID numbers or Social Security numbers carefully."
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