The Bank of America has revealed that it has lost computer tapes that contain account details of over one million customers who are employed by the federal government.
Several US Senators are among those affected and could now be vulnerable to identity theft.

Sources in the US Senate said that the missing tapes may have been stolen from a plane by baggage handlers.

The Bank of America gave no details of how the records disappeared, but said they had probably not been misused.

Officials of the bank stated that customers' accounts were being monitored and account holders would be notified if any "unusual activity" was detected.

The Bank of America said the tapes went missing in December as they were being shipped to a back-up data center.

"We, with federal law authorities, have done a very robust, thorough investigation on this and neither we nor they would make the statement lightly that we believe those tapes to be lost," Alexandra Tower, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina-based bank, told Time magazine.

However, although there was no evidence of criminal activity, the bank said that the Secret Service is said to be looking into the loss.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York said he was informed by the Senate Rules Committee that the tapes were probably stolen from a commercial plane.

"Whether it is identity theft, terrorism, or other theft, in this new complicated world baggage handlers should have background checks and more care should be taken for who is hired for these increasingly sensitive positions," Schumer said.

According to a spokesman in the Pentagon, there are approximately 900,000 military and civilian staff at the defense department who are among the 1.2 million affected.

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