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antdude 
| Citibank exposes 600,000 customers' Social Security numbers Ralph Remakel received a Citibank letter postmarked Feb. 16 that notified him of a recent Citibank error. It turns out he wasn't the only one.
In late January, Citibank mailed year-end tax statements to 600,000 Citi customers via the U.S. Postal Service that included the customers' Social Security numbers ... on the outside of the envelope.
Citi called the mistake a "processing error." »newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/the···ers.html
Wow identity theft waiting to happen.  |
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| Ok, we bailed these idiots out - why?
Remind me. |
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| Kick-backs. |
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davePremium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
kudos:7 Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to DayWalkerz
said by DayWalkerz :
Citi called the mistake a "processing error." Means "we're completely stupid, we did a stupid thing, we stupidly didn't look at anything after we stupidly printed it, and now we're giving a stupid excuse because we think our customers are stupid enough to swallow it".
Find out the highest-ranking person who ok'd this mailing, throw him in jail and make him personally liable for all financial problems caused to the affected people.
I trust my position on this is clear enough? |
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 jaykaykay4 Ever YoungPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-13
Scottsdale, AZ
kudos:19 | reply to DayWalkerz
"Processing error." How ludicrous to call such a stupid thing a "processing error". Whomever OK'd those envelopes should have been fired. |
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 DataDocMy avatar looks like me, if I was 2D.Premium
join:2000-05-14
Greenville, NC
 ·Suddenlink
| said by jaykaykay:"Processing error." How ludicrous to call such a stupid thing a "processing error". Whomever OK'd those envelopes should have been fired. Can I use this excuse if I write a bad check?
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I don't like it when the science people talk about things no one can even understand," said Rich Parker, an Ohio resident. "It's like, just quit your yapping and dip the chain saw into the liquid nitrogen already." |
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| reply to DayWalkerz
Citibank said in a statement that the company believes the error produced little to no risk to its customers and that it has been corrected for all Citibank's future mailings.
"Although there is little or no risk to our customers, we decided to be completely transparent to our customers by notifying them of the error," the statement said. "It is an important part of our commitment to our customers to be fully transparent and to give them the peace of mind that comes from banking with people they trust." If you read the statement citi says no risk or anything to worry about for the 180 days they give you of credit monitoring.  |
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davePremium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
kudos:7 | It's a good job no criminals heard about the credit monitoring and decided to wait for 181 days before using the information they had gathered. |
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 Blue2Premium
join:2004-04-14
France
kudos:1 | reply to DayWalkerz
said by DayWalkerz :
Citibank said in a statement ...
"we decided to be completely transparent to our customers by notifying them of the error," That's great spin, but I thought this was NOT their decision to make as they suggest. I thought that this was mandated any time there is a security breach.
Perhaps this is not considered a standard data breach, but having a name, address and SS number to go with it, is all that is needed in many places (incudling Citibank) to call in for account information.
So either they need to consider this as a serious breach or they need to change logon procedures. But you can't have it both ways, saying it is NOT serious and yet this is what you use to establish identity for logon. |
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 AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | the only transparent thing was the customers SSN
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standard disclaimers apply. |
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 javaManThe Dude abides.Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-15
San Luis Obispo, CA | reply to DayWalkerz
I'm curious what they were being "transparent" about. The fact they were completely irresponsible and inept? Certainly not about the "processing error" itself; that was immediately evident to the 600,000+ customers who picked up their mail one day and found their SSN plastered across the front! But I'm sure that since they have all been informed about the error they can all have the peace of mind that comes from banking with people they can trust. 
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Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness. . . Isa. 5:20 |
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javaManThe Dude abides.Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-15
San Luis Obispo, CA
1 edit | reply to DayWalkerz
said by DayWalkerz :. . . If you read the statement citi says no risk or anything to worry about for the 180 days they give you of credit monitoring. Another good reason why you can put your trust in them. They announce to everybody and their brother how long they will be monitoring their accounts. I need to find a local branch and open an account today.
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Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness. . . Isa. 5:20 |
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 salzanExperienced OptimistPremium
join:2004-01-08
WA State | reply to DayWalkerz
"Although there is little or no risk to our customers, we decided to be completely transparent to our customers by notifying them of the error," the statement said. "It is an important part of our commitment to our customers to be fully transparent and to give them the peace of mind that comes from banking with people they trust." Of course this mailing also has the SSN printed on the envelope in an effort to increase transparency. |
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 SnowymIRC unix.ro UnderNetPremium
join:2003-04-05
Kailua, HI
kudos:5
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·Clearwire Wireless
| reply to DayWalkerz
said by DayWalkerz :Citibank said in a statement that the company believes the error produced little to no risk to its customers and that it has been corrected for all Citibank's future mailings.
The real story could be in that statement, no pun intended.
It's a stretch that SSN's printed on 660K envelopes didn't didn't catch any attention.
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the error was caught but a decision to mail anyway was made at some level.
The dollar cost of replacing the mailing would be one consideration but the time cost of 'redoing' the mailing could have had more of an impact on that decision, if a decision on the matter were even made. |
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| said by Snowy:said by DayWalkerz :Citibank said in a statement that the company believes the error produced little to no risk to its customers and that it has been corrected for all Citibank's future mailings.
The real story could be in that statement, no pun intended. It's a stretch that SSN's printed on 660K envelopes didn't didn't catch any attention. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the error was caught but a decision to mail anyway was made at some level. The dollar cost of replacing the mailing would be one consideration but the time cost of 'redoing' the mailing could have had more of an impact on that decision, if a decision on the matter were even made. They management didn't want increased expenses to cut into their "bonus" money. Bone-us, is more like it. |
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 jaynickFight it Cure itPremium
join:2001-02-06
Sterling Heights, MI
kudos:1
·Comcast
| reply to jaykaykay
said by jaykaykay:"Processing error." How ludicrous to call such a stupid thing a "processing error". Whomever OK'd those envelopes should have been fired. Are you kidding? In this day and age, incompetence and stupidity are frequently rewarded! The person responsible will one day soon get promoted. Mark my words! The Peter Principle. |
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 Killer_BSpeedy
join:2002-02-11
Evanston, IL | (*#@$ them with a fistful of subpoenas.
Sideways.
Twice.
With a pitchfork. |
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jaynickFight it Cure itPremium
join:2001-02-06
Sterling Heights, MI
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Comcast
| reply to dave
said by dave:said by DayWalkerz :
Citi called the mistake a "processing error." Means "we're completely stupid, we did a stupid thing, we stupidly didn't look at anything after we stupidly printed it, and now we're giving a stupid excuse because we think our customers are stupid enough to swallow it". Find out the highest-ranking person who ok'd this mailing, throw him in jail and make him personally liable for all financial problems caused to the affected people. I trust my position on this is clear enough? Lt. General Russell Honore(from hurricane Katrina fame) said "Ya can't fix stupid" I believe he is 100% correct. 
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jimmy
"all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" (Edmund Burke)
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jaykaykay4 Ever YoungPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-13
Scottsdale, AZ
kudos:19 | reply to jaynick
Unfortunately, I have to agree with your feelings about unjust rewards. It makes me sick. |
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| reply to DayWalkerz
Please feel free to correct me, if I am wrong, but when we receive the yearly IRS tax forms and instructions, I seem to remember the social security number plainly visible on the address label under/above the name and address. I am not sure if this is still the practice, but I do recall seeing the SS number there at some point within the last few years. |
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