Vancouver Identity Theft Ring Busted

British Columbia Mounties have just busted a major identity theft ‘hub’ in Surrey that had been the center for identity theft from all over Metro Vancouver.

The operation was run out of the basement of a home in the neighbourhood of Newton. This home served as a “mid-level hub” where stolen mail and identification was brought for processing. The people running the operation were using counterfeiting equipment to create new identification and fraudulent credit cards based on stolen identity documents. The counterfeit documents and cards were then re-sold.

During the raid, police seized: credit-card making equipment, 2400 pieces of stolen mail from 24 cities in BC and in Alberta, currency counterfeiting machines, 500 credit cards, 12 passports, 75 medical cards, hundreds of tax returns, 100 of CDs with personally identifiable data for tens of thousands of people, and Canada Post uniforms. Two people were charged with fraud, possession of stolen property and other offences. Charges are pending against 5 other people.

Considering the diversity of information that was obtained, it is clear that you need to beware of all of your personally identifiable information.

Via CBC Image credit: cohdra @ morguefile Tags: identity theft, bc, vancouver, id theft, id theft ring, identity theft ring, bust, hub