Farmers Insurance says files secured
Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007
BENTONVILLE - Farmers Insurance District Manager Travis Kershner has had an extra task added to his plate of responsibilities for the past week.
When it was learned that Bentonville-based Farmers Insurance agent Greg Wolfe, who was terminated from his position in late August, dumped some files containing personal client information - such as Social Security numbers, canceled checks, copies of driver's licenses and more - Kershner's office responded. They picked up the files, which had been removed from a downtown Bentonville trash bin and kept safe by the businessman who found them. Kershner and his staff immediately started going through the files to determine what they had retrieved.
It was originally reported that Wolfe had thrown hundreds of confidential client files into the trash bin, but Kershner said there were actually only six complete client files. Those clients were notified, Kershner said. There were, however, a large stack of quote sheets among the recovered documents, each one containing the Social Security numbers and names of current or potential clients.
"I want clients to know we have retrieved and secured all of the documents that were thrown in the Dumpster and that this was not a Farmers Insurance issue," Kershner said. "(Wolfe ) was an independent business owner recently terminated by us. I've been with Farmers Insurance for quite a while, and I've never heard of this happening before.
"Farmers Insurance agents normally don't keep many paper files. The folders this agent was keeping some client files in haven't been used by this company in years. I tell my new agents to always take down Social Security numbers in person, even when doing a quote sheet. We shouldn't ever be doing those over the phone. But that, obviously, wasn't the case in this situation."
Kershner said client information is normally entered into the corporate system, and any paper documents should be scanned into the system. Those electronic files are backed up in several locations across the country. Any paper documents are to then be shredded and disposed of in a proper manner.
It is also the policy of Farmers Insurance to remove any paper files from a terminated agent's office at the time the agent is served notice by Kershner or another district manager. That did not happen in Wolfe's case.
"We always pick up any files there may be in person right away, but I happened to be out of town when (Wolfe's ) termination letter was delivered," he said. "It was served by someone other than me, and that's never happened before. This agent was given an extension, and that's never happened before."
Kershner said that when Wolfe received the termination papers, the man pleaded for an extra three weeks in order to avoid any commission charge-backs. Farmers Insurance contacted its Los Angeles headquarters about the request. The company has not been able to locate or contact Wolfe since, Kershner said. Kershner has, through others outside his office, been told that Wolfe has the remaining files in his possession, but at presstime had not turned them over.
According to Kershner, Wolfe was working with about 750 households, accounting for approximately 1, 500 policies.
"I don't believe it's a situation where this agent is keeping these files for any other reason than to try to get back at us," Kershner said. "We're working through legal channels to get those files back."
The Daily Record has been unable to contact Wolfe.
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