Officials in Essex, Vermont, say the personal information of more than 200 current and past town employees was mistakenly given to someone pretending to be a staff member.
The data breach was discovered April 12 when several workers trying to file their taxes found their accounts had been compromised. Officials then realized that on April 7 and 8, someone had sent a fraudulent email to the town requesting payroll records for all employees.
The released information included dates of birth, pay information and employment information for 262 current and former town employees. It did not include any banking or credit card information, and any information for staff of the village of Essex Junction.
The Vermont attorney general's office has been notified, and police are investigating.
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