Panic thousands of New Jersey residents are feeling over identity theft may be unfounded.

About 28,000 residents were informed by the state Labor Department that their social security numbers may have been sent to the wrong addresses. The mailing turned out to be a clerical error caused by staffers manually stuffing envelopes.

A department spokesman says personal information was never stolen, but rather misdirected. The spokesman also says that only about seven employers were likely sent the wrong information.

For more on the social security situation, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.