Police are searching for two CDs at the centre of an identity fraud crisis after the personal details of 25 million people were lost.
The discs contain names, addresses, dates of birth, child benefit numbers, national insurance numbers and bank or building society account details of every family that gets child benefit.
The 'catastrophic' blunder by HM Revenue and Customs means that nearly half the UK's population - including leading politicians and businessmen - are at risk of identity fraud.
Chancellor Alistair Darling said he had ordered an inquiry into security procedures at Revenue and Customs.
'This is a very, very bad situation indeed,' he said.
'There are clear procedures in place which should have stopped anyone, let alone a junior official, from downloading this information on to two discs and putting them in the post unregistered.'
Mr Darling revealed the staggering scale of the debacle in an emergency statement to MPs, as Paul Gray, the head of HMRC, resigned with immediate effect.
Mr Darling explained how a junior official sent the entire child benefit database from the HMRC HQ in Newcastle to the National Audit Office in London on October 18.
In flagrant breach of the agency's procedure, the package was not even posted recorded delivery through contracted courier TNT, and never arrived at its destination.
However, senior management at HMRC were not informed of the problem until November 8, with Mr Darling and Prime Minister Gordon Brown finally brought into the loop two days later.
The officials involved apparently waited to raise the alarm because they hoped the password-protected discs would 'turn up'.
The Metropolitan Police is now leading the hunt for the package while Mr Darling has ordered a probe into security procedures at HMRC and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is also investigating.
The Chancellor stressed there was no evidence that the information had fallen into criminal hands and said the public would be protected against any fraud by the Banking Code.
'I regard this as an extremely serious failure by HMRC in their responsibility to the public,' he told MPs.
The details of virtually every family in the country with children under the age of 16 has been lost. This is believed to include Prime Minister Gordon Brown and several other Cabinet members.
Child benefit can be paid up to the age of 20 if the teenagers are studying for A-levels or on an approved training scheme.
An HMRC spokeswoman said: 'The junior HMRC official involved should have notified their senior officials but did not.
'Instead they assumed that the data had been delayed because of the postal strike and the NAO's office move and hoped it would turn up.'
Shadow chancellor George Osborne said: 'The Chancellor has serious questions to answer, and faces the huge task of restoring the public's confidence in his department.
'He will have to demonstrate over the next few weeks that he is capable of doing this.'
http://orange.co.uk/news/topstories/290 ... icle=index
Great eh...........:-3
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
This is mind boggling, what in gods name were the people responsible for this thinking????
25 Million People's personal details including bank account numbers gone missing?
The Head of HM Revenue Service will have to resign for a start, this government is starting to look like an unlucky one, a lot of stuff has happened since Brown took office, its not all his fault, but he and his cabinet are the ones in charge so they will take a big political hit from all these mini-diasters.
25 Million People's personal details including bank account numbers gone missing?
The Head of HM Revenue Service will have to resign for a start, this government is starting to look like an unlucky one, a lot of stuff has happened since Brown took office, its not all his fault, but he and his cabinet are the ones in charge so they will take a big political hit from all these mini-diasters.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
http://itn.co.uk/news/077c10d0d16281042 ... 4d6a8.html
Jesus.that video link there says they downloaded all the info put it on disc and posted them, not even bloody registered ect.. and now they are lost! WTF...
Now myself and millions of others are at risk because we have child benefit paid into a bank account.
The "catastrophic" blunder by HM Revenue and Customs means that virtually every family in the UK with children under the age of 16 has been lost. This is believed to include Mr Brown and several other Cabinet members.
"There are clear procedures in place which should have stopped anyone, let alone a junior official, from downloading this information on to two discs and putting them in the post unregistered."
Mr Darling revealed the staggering scale of the debacle in an emergency statement to MPs on Tuesday, as Paul Gray, the head of HMRC, resigned with immediate effect.
He explained how a junior official sent the entire child benefit database from the HMRC HQ in Newcastle to the National Audit Office in London on October 18.
In flagrant breach of the agency's procedure, the package was not even posted recorded delivery through contracted courier TNT, and never arrived at its destination.
However, senior management at HMRC were not informed of the problem until November 8, with Mr Darling and Mr Brown finally brought into the loop two days later.
The officials involved apparently waited to raise the alarm because they hoped the password-protected discs would "turn up".
The Metropolitan Police is now leading the hunt for the package while Mr Darling has ordered a probe into security procedures at HMRC and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is also investigating.
The Chancellor stressed there was no evidence that the information had fallen into criminal hands and said the public would be protected against any fraud by the Banking Code.
"I regard this as an extremely serious failure by HMRC in their responsibility to the public," he told MPs.
Someone from HMRC has resigned I just heard..........sack the bloody lot of em, incompetant ****
Jesus.that video link there says they downloaded all the info put it on disc and posted them, not even bloody registered ect.. and now they are lost! WTF...
Now myself and millions of others are at risk because we have child benefit paid into a bank account.
The "catastrophic" blunder by HM Revenue and Customs means that virtually every family in the UK with children under the age of 16 has been lost. This is believed to include Mr Brown and several other Cabinet members.
"There are clear procedures in place which should have stopped anyone, let alone a junior official, from downloading this information on to two discs and putting them in the post unregistered."
Mr Darling revealed the staggering scale of the debacle in an emergency statement to MPs on Tuesday, as Paul Gray, the head of HMRC, resigned with immediate effect.
He explained how a junior official sent the entire child benefit database from the HMRC HQ in Newcastle to the National Audit Office in London on October 18.
In flagrant breach of the agency's procedure, the package was not even posted recorded delivery through contracted courier TNT, and never arrived at its destination.
However, senior management at HMRC were not informed of the problem until November 8, with Mr Darling and Mr Brown finally brought into the loop two days later.
The officials involved apparently waited to raise the alarm because they hoped the password-protected discs would "turn up".
The Metropolitan Police is now leading the hunt for the package while Mr Darling has ordered a probe into security procedures at HMRC and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is also investigating.
The Chancellor stressed there was no evidence that the information had fallen into criminal hands and said the public would be protected against any fraud by the Banking Code.
"I regard this as an extremely serious failure by HMRC in their responsibility to the public," he told MPs.
Someone from HMRC has resigned I just heard..........sack the bloody lot of em, incompetant ****
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
It is hard to believe that such a thing could happen. I think its becoming obvious that there are some serious problems in some of the departments the Civil Service in Britain, it seems to me that these vital departments are being neglected by the government, the home office is a mess, and now it seems Revenue is in the same boat. Jaysus, 25 Million people's personal details though , as blunders go, thats a big one! :-3
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Le Rochefoucauld.
"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."
My dad 1986.
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
Scary $hit for sure........
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
Chezzie;723151 wrote: [url]
Someone from HMRC has resigned I just heard..........sack the bloody lot of em, incompetant ****
So you want 100,000 people to lose their job because 2 discs got lost in the internal post?
Someone from HMRC has resigned I just heard..........sack the bloody lot of em, incompetant ****
So you want 100,000 people to lose their job because 2 discs got lost in the internal post?
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
jpcme;723167 wrote: So you want 100,000 people to lose their job because 2 discs got lost in the internal post?
No of course not I was just blasting off............sowwy
No of course not I was just blasting off............sowwy
Police hunt for discs in ID blunder
If the data was stolen, then it is likely the thief would sit on this information for a number of years before harvesting identities, said Abagnale.
"Because the records are for younger people, many may not have a credit record yet. Once they reach adulthood, they could find their identity has been sold before they've even started on life."
HMRC's data loss highlights the difference between data breach notification laws in the US and the UK, said Abagnale. The UK government waited more than 10 days to notify parliament and the public of the breach. But n the US, under current laws, the government would have had to notify everyone affected immediately.
http://computerworlduk.com/management/g ... ewsid=6299
and in related news
Lose an unencrypted laptop and 'face criminal action'
Britain's data protection commissioner finally calls for some teeth
http://www.computerworlduk.com/manageme ... ewsid=6241
Bit like an episode of yes minister.
"Because the records are for younger people, many may not have a credit record yet. Once they reach adulthood, they could find their identity has been sold before they've even started on life."
HMRC's data loss highlights the difference between data breach notification laws in the US and the UK, said Abagnale. The UK government waited more than 10 days to notify parliament and the public of the breach. But n the US, under current laws, the government would have had to notify everyone affected immediately.
http://computerworlduk.com/management/g ... ewsid=6299
and in related news
Lose an unencrypted laptop and 'face criminal action'
Britain's data protection commissioner finally calls for some teeth
http://www.computerworlduk.com/manageme ... ewsid=6241
Bit like an episode of yes minister.