British television station ITV's "Tonight" program recently exposed a company in India where call center employees were selling confidential British medical and financial data for as little as "five bucks" a piece, says V3.co.uk.

The data was often sold to companies for cross-selling and direct marketing purposes, but the actual sale of that information brought to light an alarming problem.

However, an IDG story in Computerworld says that the crime must be seen as a data theft problem, not an offshoring problem. It quotes National Outsourcing Association Offshoring Director Mark Kobayashi Hillary saying:

It is useful for programs like 'Tonight' to be exposing these crimes, but not to disparage a largely trusted and successful outsourcing and offshoring industry.

Kobayashi Hillary explained that data theft can occur anywhere. The story should serve as a reminder for companies to use credible and reputable outsourcing firms.