Confidential Employment Files End Up On The Street--

Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County--    Personal files containing confidential information from people who were looking for work in Luzerne County ended up on the streets of Wilkes-Barre. A man and woman from Wilkes-Barre who did not want to be identified called the I-Team after they discovered16 files inside a filing cabinet that was discarded by the Pennsylvania Career Link in Wilkes-Barre. The woman told Eyewitness News, "This contains social security numbers,birth dates even security clearances..this is prime information for identity theft."  The I-Team tracked down a man who's file was tossed out and he was not happy about the situation. The man who also did not want to be named ,said, "I am very concerned about this..how can this happen in 2012. We went there looking for work and this happens some six years later? I hope somebody is held accountable for this!"  The files are controlled by the Workforce Investment Board which oversees the Pennsylvania Career Links in Wilkes-Barre,Hazleton and Pottsville. The acting Executive Director Patricia Lehanan released a two page statement basically saying it was a mistake. The statement reads in part,"We treat all personal records with the utmost care to ensure their safety and security,so to hear of this occurrence is very troubling and disturbing to us.....this is a highly unusual event that seems to be the result of human error."