FBI, Anthem Staff To Visit Ball State After Identity Thefts

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Staffers from the FBI and the Indiana attorney general's office will be among experts to visit Ball State University after at least 140 school employees' identities were stolen.

The Star Press reports that health insurer Anthem Inc. has confirmed a Feb. 4 security breach included information from Ball State employees.

Some employees found out about having their identity stolen after getting tax returns in the form of pre-paid cards that were already used. Victims of tax fraud at Ball State include an associate vice president, a dean, assistant deans, assistant department chairs and other senior officials.

Authorities haven't linked the tax return fraud to the Anthem breach.

Richard Bramer, director of the consumer protection division at the attorney general's office, was scheduled to visit Ball State on Wednesday to talk about what's being done about an increase in fraudulent tax filings. FBI computer scientist Jonny Sweeny is set to go to the Muncie campus April 15.

Experts from Anthem will be on campus April 21-22 to talk about the data breach. Ball State employees who have insurance through Anthem can enroll in a free online identity theft and credit monitoring service for the next two years.

Paul Buis, who chairs Ball State's computer science department, said many people don't understand that services like the one offered by Anthem don't insure against losses as a result of identity theft. Rather, he said, it covers the cost of repairing credit files and updating credit card accounts.