Confidential paperwork found after theft

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Confidential customer information from a car dealership was potentially compromised after a theft.

Delores Carston showed Channel 2 Action News file after file of confidential customer information, including her own, that she says somehow ended up on the street.

A man found the paperwork and called her.

“This is personal information, this my Social Security, this my date of birth, residence, my paycheck, I mean everything you could possibly think of about me,“ Carston said.

When Channel 2 Action News looked over the files, we noticed there appears to be customer information collected by Atlanta Toyota on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth, but the paperwork was found miles away, in Snellville.

Carston turned the paperwork over to Gwinnett County police.

Tyler Heard, the area Vice President for Penske Automotive Group, which owns Atlanta Toyota released this statement:

“These files were moved from our property by one of our employees in violation of company policy. Unfortunately, they were then stolen from the vehicle of the employee. Subsequently a good Samaritan found them on the side of the road. We asked her (Ms. Carston) to repeatedly return the files but she has been uncooperative and refused to return the files. We do believe the files contain personal information of costumers, and we have an obligation to seek return of files so we can notify customers. We’ve offered to meet her repeatedly to have files returned to us but because of her lack of cooperation, we have no choice but to file a court action to recover our property and enlist the assistance of local law enforcement to receive the property so we can notify customers. We have no other disputes with her.”

Carston says she delayed returning the documents because she did not know what to do.

WSBTV