The entire identity of a woman from Georgia, USA, including her income, as well as her children’s identities, appeared on a stranger’s computer, while she view all his.
Shannon Sandry says the mistake occurred after she sent her laptop to HP’s repair centre in Indiana, after which she got a call from a man in Maryland who asked: ‘Is your Social Security number this?’, 13WMAZ reported.
She could see his private details on her device, including pictures, bank records, and his address. Sandry said: “There is his TurboTax folder showing that he did it on TurboTax. I know how to access his bank if I want to.
“My information went to Prince Frederick, Maryland. Where else did it go?”
The two determined that HP must have mixed the computers up. Sandry says she called the OEM, but their response was inadequate. 13WMAZ said they had attempted to call HP but their enquiry had not been returned.
In the meantime Sandry still feels that her identity and her children’s will always be in danger. Both computer owners say they will consult with lawyers about the incident.
“They [HP] know they’re wrong. ‘Sorry’ is not going to fix it,” Sandry said. “They’re not offering me anything to protect my children’s identity. They’re not offering anything to protect my identity. All they’ve told me so far is they want the computer back.”