A former employee at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for stealing the names, birthdays and Social Security numbers of his co-workers to fill out nearly 400 online health surveys worth $100 each, reports IDG News.
Cam Giang had worked at the medical center's IT department for five years and had access to the sensitive information through his position. When StayWell--the company paying for the vouchers--received complaints from employees who couldn't fill out the survey, it discovered that Giang had already filled out surveys with their information, notes IDG.
UCSF promptly fired Giang and also notified 486 employees that their information had been accessed without approval.
Giang's attorney argued that although he received 218 vouchers--worth a total of $21,800--he never cashed them in. "Mr Giang never intended to steal their identity, and other than losing the opportunity to participate in StayWell's marketing surveys, the victims did not lose anything," said the defense attorney in court filings.
Giang pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft charges on July 22.
In addition to prison time, the former UCSF employee may have to pay restitution, notes the Associated Press. A restitution hearing is scheduled for January 2011.
For more:
- read this IDG News article
- check out the Associated Press article