Catholic schools shut down for data breach at Seattle Archdiocese

Two Catholic high schools in Seattle have changed their schedules Friday so the staff can deal with the threat of identity theft.

Kids at O’Dea High School got the day off and Bishop Blanchet students will be dismissed early as the Seattle Archdiocese tries to figure out the extent of a data breach.

But it’s not only those with ties to those two schools who may be affected. The current risk appears to be income tax refund fraud and it’s having an impact on employees and volunteers across Western Washington.

KIRO Radio’s Ursula Reutin was attending an event at Bishop Blanchet High on Thursday evening, and said many concerned families were asking if others had been victimized.

Some affected had received notice of suspected fraud.

Reutin said she believed her family was in the clear, but after hearing from so many concerned parents, she called the number provided the Archdiocese, [800-908-4490]. She discovered that someone had filed a tax return in her husband’s name and received a refund from the government.

“What’s funny is my husband did turn in our tax returns and we actually owe – so we’re like, where is our money?” she said on KIRO Radio’s Tom & Curley Show.

The thieves used Reutin’s husband’s social security number, but they didn’t even have all of the correct information – his spouse’s name was listed as “Paula.”

A spokesperson from the IRS told KIRO Radio they couldn’t comment because the case is considered “pending.”

But Reutin knows it won’t end there. With a compromised social security number, credit cards, and bank accounts are vulnerable.

“We have to monitor it – so far no one has hacked into our personal accounts,” said Reutin. “I’m also a victim of the Target breech, so it’s just a double whammy.”

Employees of the Seattle Archdiocese, which encompasses the Catholic Church in most of Western Washington, including teachers and staff at Catholic schools and parishes are all potentially affected.

So is anyone who has volunteered at a Catholic school. Volunteering at a Catholic school requires a background check, including a social security number, putting every volunteer at risk of the fraud.

“Don’t assume that because you haven’t heard anything that you’re not victim,” said Reutin. “We only found out because we called the number.”

If you’re worried you may have been a victim of this fraud, the Archdiocese of Seattle has issued step to take, which can be found here.