Data on 13,960 Customers Fraudulently Accessed at Kyushu Electric

Tokyo, Feb. 3 (Jiji Press)--Kyushu Electric Power Co. <9508> employees illicitly accessed information on 13,960 customers of so-called power producers and suppliers, or PPSs, between last October and January, the company said Friday.

The major power utility mainly serving the Kyushu southwestern Japan region reported the findings to the industry ministry's Electricity and Gas Market Surveillance Commission.

In a separate report to the commission, Shikoku Electric Power Co. <9507> said that information on 2,896 customers was illicitly accessed by some employees during the same period.

The commission said it will take necessary steps after examining the reports closely.

The fraudulently accessed information was held by respective transmission subsidiaries of Kyushu Electric and Shikoku Electric, a power supplier serving mainly the Shikoku western Japan region. PPSs send electricity to consumers via networks of such transmission companies.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]