First, fake Rolexes — now, student records

So we hear stories from time to time about identity theft — you know, people getting hold of your credit card numbers from the Internet or maybe sifting through your trash to steal bank account info. But recently, it was much easier to steal people's personal information — old Houston Community College student records, complete with Social Security numbers, were being sold on the street. It seems the records came from a warehouse HCC sold a few years ago, but left paperwork in.

KHOU talked to Ray Henderson, a guard at the warehouse, who said he sticks around for 12 hours every day to make sure no one comes in. And yet he said he knows some people steal things from the building: "You know, as far as taking records, I have no knowledge, you know what I'm saying," he said. "As far as the scrap metal in there, yeah." When a KHOU news crew visited the warehouse, it found more documents that had been left there — including records from fire department recertification classes. HCC said it would notify the fire department and let HFD know the records are in good hands — they are? — and the fire department said it had had no reports of identity theft.

HCC said the records would be removed from the warehouse and destroyed immediately.