Recipients of tobacco buyout payments have received letters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture notifying them that some numbers pertaining to their financial operations may have been inadvertently released to unauthorized businesses, but that apparently the information has been returned or destroyed by the parties and does not pose a threat to the farmer’s finances or bank accounts.

The error was made by a contractor involved in sending checks for buyout payments.

County Farm Service Agency Executive Coke Gray said his office had “gotten hundreds of calls” regarding the letter notifying farmers of the mistake and emphasizing that no bank account numbers were released.

The numbers released in error by the contractor were social security and tax identification numbers, information that the federal government considers confidential.

“All we can do is reassure the people,” Gray said, that the error does not present a threat of someone tampering with their bank accounts.