DENVER -
The data was on a laptop computer that was stolen during air transportation from a consultant who was conducting a review of the troubled credit union's books for Bellco CU, another Denver credit union studying whether to acquire the troubled institution. The laptop was apparently stolen from the luggage of a consultant with Protiviti, a company providing the due diligence review for Bellco CU.
NCUA has been shopping the troubled credit union to potential merger partners over the last few months.
The stolen computer contains only loan information, which involves records of about 9,000 of the credit union's 19,500 members. NCUA began notifying all members by letter of the potential data breach.
Any members who may be affected will be provided free credit reports, credit monitoring and access to a toll-free number, should it become necessary.
John McKechnie, spokesman for NCUA, said there is no indication the laptop was stolen because of the members' information or that the thief knew what was on it.
"We haven't seen any evidence that the laptop was stolen for the information on it or that the data was targeted," he said.
In addition, the members data on the laptop was secure. "The information is encrypted with several layers of security," said McKechnie.
NCUA is taking the unusual step of making the theft public because of the ongoing concern about data security and identity theft, he added. "We take any kind of data breach seriously," said the NCUA spokesman. "And any kind of data breach could expand and be made much worse if the members are not told what's going on."
In addition, all member accounts at the credit union are federally insured, he added.
New Horizons ended last year with a $20.1-million loss, 3.3% capital and a negative return-on-average assets of 8.6%.
The credit union had a huge subprime auto portfolio and was one of the biggest creditors for CENTRIX Financial, the subprime auto lender in the process of reorganizing under bankruptcy protection.
