Two Navy-owned laptops containing sensitive personal information on about 31,000 recruits from New York and New Jersey have been stolen, officials said.
They were grabbed from Navy recruiting offices in Trenton and Jersey City.
About 4,000 names, along with Social Security numbers, were listed – making the recruits listed in them vulnerable to fraud and identity theft.
An inventory search after the first theft uncovered the second stolen laptop.
“This is the gang that can’t shoot straight,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) of the recruiters. “The most sensitive data is treated with no greater care than yesterday’s newspaper.”
Sources say many of the recruits were from area high schools visited by Navy recruiters.
So far, no illegal uses of the information have been reported.
“The Navy is taking all prudent measures to ensure personal data is securely maintained and protected throughout each of its commands,” said Navy spokesman Lt. Bashon Mann.
The computers are password-protected, and the risk of identity theft is “extremely low,” he said.
The Navy says it is contacting the people whose information was stored on the stolen computers.