Some information in Frederick County's Ambulance Billing program may have been compromised. The company which handles the billing, Advance Data Processing, Inc., says it learned on October 1st, 2012 that individual account information had been accessed illegally. "Some of that was disclosed to a theft ring suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRS," says Lisa McKenzie, a spokeswoman for ADPI.

McKenzie says some of that information could have been names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. She says the damage wasn't confined to Frederick County. "There were other parts of the country as well," says McKenzie.

The  ADPI employee who illegally accessed the information has been fired, and faces criminal charges.

ADPI has notified the affected individuals, but there could be others who have not been contacted. McKenzie says a website and call center have been set up to answer customer questions and concerns. ID experts are on hand at the call center between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday. The number is 1-877-264-9822. The website is www.myidcare.com/intersecurity. As of Monday afternoon, the website was not yet up and running.

With the  fact that Social Security numbers may have been stolen, that puts consumers at great risk for identity theft. "That is possible, certainly," McKenzie says. "That's why the company has set up this website and the call center so that people can actually get aid in terms of understanding what they can do to protect their identity.

The Ambulance Billing Program was set up a few years ago in Frederick County to help defray costs of transporting patients to the hospital. Part of it includes a Subscription Club, where citizens pay a $25.00 fee each year. If the club member has to go to the hospital, the Subscription Club dues will cover the bill. In some cases, a patient's insurance company may pay for ambulance transport, if the carrier considers it a medical necessity.