Caterpillar theft

By: Mike Savage
WPPR Demorest

Employees at a heavy equipment plant in Northeast Georgia could be the latest identity theft victims after a computer was stolen with sensitive information.

Officials at Caterpillar say the social security numbers and banking information of hundreds of Georgia-based employees were on a computer that was stolen last month from a repair shop in Atlanta. The Illinois-based company says the computer belonged to a benefits contractor.

Caterpillar, which has a plant in Pendergrass in Jackson County, waited three weeks to disclose the theft to workers. The company has not given a reason for the delay. Caterpillar also has declined to say how many of its 95,-thousand current and former employees nationwide are affected.

The company doesn't believe any personal data has been accessed or used.

The missing data comes at a time when more companies are disclosing that the personal information of employees was either lost or stolen. Last month, Fruit of the Loom workers in Clayton were notified of stolen personal information. And last year, Atlanta data broker Choice Point admitted that the personal information of thousands was accessed by a thief posing as a business client.