News

Hackers may have compromised info of La. residents

by Walter Pierce

Computer hackers may have gained access to the personal information of thousands of Louisiana residents who use debit cards issued by JPMorgan Chase for three state agencies, authorities said Wednesday.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Computer hackers may have gained access to the personal information of thousands of Louisiana residents who use debit cards issued by JPMorgan Chase for three state agencies, authorities said Wednesday

Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols said in a news release that the breach involves the Department of Revenue, the Workforce Commission and the Department of Children and Family Services.

Nichols says the information may have been compromised for about 6,000 recipients of pre-loaded debit cards for state income tax refunds; 5,300 child support debit cardholders and 2,200 residents receiving unemployment benefits.

Nichols says the breach affects cardholders who registered their cards on the JPMorgan UCard Center website and performed certain actions online between July and September.

JPMorgan Chase did not immediately respond to after-hours phone messages Wednesday.

Nichols said JPMorgan Chase officials indicated that the breach is not isolated to Louisiana.

Nichols said JPMorgan Chase officials say there's no evidence that the information has been fraudulently used, but it will monitor the security status for all cardholders involved and will notify each of them.

"We will be working with law enforcement officials as this investigation continues," Nichols said in a statement. "We will hold JPMorgan Chase responsible to make certain that the rights and personal privacy of these Louisiana citizens is protected."

JPMorgan Chase issues debit cards for certain state agencies, including the ones breached, through a contract with the Louisiana Department of the Treasury.