Warning Follows Personal Data Loss

(CPS) is warning participants that a box microfilm containing personal information, including Social Security numbers and medical information, has been lost.

In August, the Kirkwood-based plan administrator was told that the box containing plan enrollment information from the 1960s and 1970s had been lost by a delivery service used by a vendor hired by CPS to convert the data to an electronic format, according to a statement released Saturday.

The records contained some participants' personal information, including names, addresses from the 1960s and 1970s, and dates of birth. In some cases, Social Security numbers also were on the microfilm, and in other cases, limited medical information for some participants was included, the statement says.

CPS is the benefits provider of choice for more than 6,000 LCMS organizations and provides pension benefits to 16,000 retirees, according to the plan administrator's website.

CPS has no knowledge of misuse or attempted misuse of the information contained on the microfilm and has responded to the incident by:

• Notifying all affected individuals in writing;
• Taking measures to locate the microfilm and working with security experts to identify and implement potential safeguards;
• Offering credit monitoring, identity theft restoration and fraud insurance to eligible individuals at no cost for one year.

Readers with questions about the incident should contact a toll-free hotline set up by CPS at 1-888-414-8021 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.