SIDNEY, OH -- The Sidney-Shelby County YMCA in Sidney, OH, is on alert after thieves broke into the facility earlier this month, stealing computers that contained the personal information of about 1,000 members, according to the Dayton (OH) Daily News.
In what Sidney Police call a "sophisticated" break-in, thieves broke a window at the facility, circumvented the security system and walked away with five computers, three flat-screen monitors, a laser printer, a scanner and hardware, the newspaper reported. Police believe the intruders were looking for financial records of the Y’s members. About 1,000 members had bank information on the Y’s hard drives. Other Y members who had corporate-sponsored memberships were not affected because their dues are paid through a payroll deduction that is completed by their employer.
In response to the incident, the Y sent out a letter to its members, notified all financial institutions that it works with and informed every staff member and its more than 2,000 members individually, the newspaper reported. The Y plans to move all of its member files to an off-site, multi-level security system. The police recommended that all affected members close their bank accounts.
The national YMCA also is taking note and is using the incident to help increase security at other branches, the newspaper reported.