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Tom.Leatherwood@shelbycountytn.gov.
register.shelby.tn.us/
Scott.Noll@wreg.com
(Lakeland, TN 12/2/2009) Tonight, people across Shelby County are reacting to our On Your Side Investigation.
They're stunned to learn their social security numbers are available, for the world to see, on the Shelby County Register's website.
By early afternoon, Shelby County Register, Tom Leatherwood's office had received dozens of requests from people to have that information removed from the website.
But that still leaves thousands of people with personal information out there, exposed.
What we found on-line sent Robbie Deaton scrambling to call the Shelby County Register's office.
Deaton and her husband, were shocked when WREG On Your Side Investigators called and told the Lakeland couple that their names, address, and social security numbers on the Register's website.
"When you work really hard to do everything right, and then you go to your own county government and find your social security number, your spouse's social security number, a replication of your signatures, I think it's appalling," said Deaton.
A quick search of the site showed five files with one, or both of the Deaton's social security numbers.
The documents are part of nearly 8 million available through the site.
While most of them don't have social security information listed, Leatherwood admits at least thousands of documents still contain them.
He says time and money has slowed the search to find social security numbers and black them out.
"We are working our way through the database, mainly starting recently and working our way back," Leatherwood explained.
The Register encourages people to check their own records, and request their social security numbers be removed if they're on-line.
That's what Deaton is doing now that she found out.
Her concern now, is who else may have found her family's information, but didn't call them first.
"The hour is going to be very, very long until she gets back with me and tells me it's gone," said Deaton as she hung up the phone after requesting the information be removed from the Register's website.
About three hours after she called the Register's office, the Deaton's social security numbers were blacked out on-line.
- Dozens call county register's office after WREG On Your Side Investigation showed social security numbers on-line
- Register says thousands of documents likely contain personal information
- Information can be blacked out on-line if found, or requested
Tom.Leatherwood@shelbycountytn.gov.
register.shelby.tn.us/
Scott.Noll@wreg.com
(Lakeland, TN 12/2/2009) Tonight, people across Shelby County are reacting to our On Your Side Investigation.
They're stunned to learn their social security numbers are available, for the world to see, on the Shelby County Register's website.
By early afternoon, Shelby County Register, Tom Leatherwood's office had received dozens of requests from people to have that information removed from the website.
But that still leaves thousands of people with personal information out there, exposed.
What we found on-line sent Robbie Deaton scrambling to call the Shelby County Register's office.
Deaton and her husband, were shocked when WREG On Your Side Investigators called and told the Lakeland couple that their names, address, and social security numbers on the Register's website.
"When you work really hard to do everything right, and then you go to your own county government and find your social security number, your spouse's social security number, a replication of your signatures, I think it's appalling," said Deaton.
A quick search of the site showed five files with one, or both of the Deaton's social security numbers.
The documents are part of nearly 8 million available through the site.
While most of them don't have social security information listed, Leatherwood admits at least thousands of documents still contain them.
He says time and money has slowed the search to find social security numbers and black them out.
"We are working our way through the database, mainly starting recently and working our way back," Leatherwood explained.
The Register encourages people to check their own records, and request their social security numbers be removed if they're on-line.
That's what Deaton is doing now that she found out.
Her concern now, is who else may have found her family's information, but didn't call them first.
"The hour is going to be very, very long until she gets back with me and tells me it's gone," said Deaton as she hung up the phone after requesting the information be removed from the Register's website.
About three hours after she called the Register's office, the Deaton's social security numbers were blacked out on-line.
