Callaway, Cole included in list of hacked agencies

A number of Callaway County Sheriff's Office employees are keeping a close eye on their credit after their personal information was stolen as part of an Internet hacking scheme that affected law enforcement agencies across the country.

According to an Associated Press report, a group known as Anonymous claimed responsibility Saturday for hacking into approximately 70 law enforcement websites "in retaliation for arrests of its sympathizers in the U.S. and Britain." The group claimed to have stolen 10 gigabytes of data including e-mails, credit card details and other information.

Among the sites that were invaded was one for the Missouri Sheriff's Association's training academy, which is how the Callaway officers were affected.

Capt. John Wheeler of the Cole County Sheriff's Department said members of that department were also affected by the hacking of the Sheriff's Association website.