MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Some 788 employees of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center were the victims of tax fraud after a data breach exposed confidential data for as many as 27,000 workers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
The breach, 1st discovered in February, came after number of employees began reporting identity theft. The ID thefts allowed the fraudsters to file fraudulent tax returns under the employees’ names and make off with the resultant refunds, according to the newspaper.
UPMC employs about 62,000 people, according to the report.
"As of [April 17], 788 employees have been the victims of tax fraud," UPMC spokeswoman Gloria Kreps wrote in a statement. "We want to assure our patients that no patient information was breached. We are continuing to work with the IRS, Secret Service and FBI to determine the source of the breach. We continue to urge our employees to register with LifeLock as an important step to deter any additional fraudulent activity."
A lawyer handling a lawsuit filed against the medical center over the data breach said he’s received reports of bank accounts being looted, but hasn’t been able to confirm any such cases, the Post-Gazette reported.
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