Medical Board Mail Stolen in Sacramento; Physicians Encouraged to Guard Against Identity Theft
[Posted 03/16/06]

An unknown quantity of mail was stolen March 4 from the general mailbox at a Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) facility in Sacramento, which houses the Medical Board of California and seven other professional licensing boards. Law enforcement and the U.S. Postal Service have been notified and are investigating the matter.

As license applications and renewals contain personal and financial information, licensees could potentially be exposed to identity theft. Physicians who mailed medical license applications, renewals, or other mail containing personal information between February 25 and March 3 to the DCA Howe Avenue facility are encouraged to contact the medical board (916/263-1080) to determine if their applications have arrived safely. If your application has not arrived, please visit the DCA Office of Privacy Protection (COPP) website at http://www.privacy.ca.gov for information on steps you can take to protect yourself from the possibility of identity theft. COPP can also be reached by phone at 866/785-9663

Also affected by this mail theft are the Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Physician Assistant Committee, the Physical Therapy Board of California, the Board of Psychology, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board, the Committee on Dental Auxiliaries, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Structural Pest Control Board, and the California Athletic Commission.

To mitigate this risk in the future, DCA has changed procedures, and mail will be delivered to the Howe Avenue facility only during normal business hours when staff are present in the building. The theft took place on a Saturday.

Contact: Medical Board of California, 916/263-1080.