Social Security Numbers Discarded in Dumpster

It's a place where people recycle office paperwork and cardboard boxes. But someone used a drop-off office recycling site near West Palm Beach, for to throwing away more than 200 files with sensitive information.

Chuck Mata made the discovery Monday morning, while dropping off recycling items from his own workplace. "We always use this dumpster," said Mata.

But on this trip Mata came across the files containing mortgage paperwork. "It's got the fax numbers, phone numbers, social security numbers," he said.

When CBS 12 inspected a sampling the forms in the dumpster, we saw most dates ranging from 2002 to 2004. The mortgage applicants were mostly from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. And on the forms-- sure enough-- lots of social security numbers and other personal information.

"Spooky," said Mata. "I mean it could have been me, it could have been you. It all should have been shredded."

Mata had called the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. When deputies arrived, they said they didn't believe a crime had been committed. Still the deputies tried locating the companies listed on the documents.

Unable to connect them, the two deputies started bagging and boxing the documents. They put them into their patrol cars. The deputies said the paperwork was headed back to headquarters where it will be destroyed. There were easily more than 200 files.

"This is very shoddy business practices," said Mata. "I mean this is like you handing criminals your personal information, giving them the go-ahead to steal from you."

The company names that appeared on the documents were 1st Metropolitan Mortgage and Empire Equity. Both entities are based in North Carolina. CBS 12 was referred to someone in the legal department, who was unavailable.