LexisNexis warns of possible data breach

By Amy Westfeldt

updated 7:02 p.m. ET May 1, 2009

NEW YORK - The LexisNexis online information service is warning 32,000 people their personal information may have been improperly accessed in a credit card fraud scheme that postal officials say bilked hundreds.

New York-based LexisNexis says in a letter mailed Friday that former customers of the service may have viewed information including names, birth dates and Social Security numbers.

U.S. Postal Service officials have launched a criminal investigation and say 300 people in the databases of LexisNexis and a Santa Fe, N.M., company called Investigative Professionals were victims in the credit card fraud scheme. No suspects have been arrested.

MORE FROM SECURITY

Security Section Front

The biggest security threats in 2010   Citigroup denies computer-system breach Twitter temporarily hacked, now up White House picks new cyber czar Pentagon: Insurgents intercepted spy videos Privacy watchdog files complaint against Facebook Ohio court: Cell phone searches require warrant Nearly 1 in 3 older teens gets ‘sexting’ messages Australia to block obscene, crime-linked sites After criticism, Facebook tweaks settings again Security Section Front   Add Security headlines to your news reader: