Possible ID thefts uncovered during drug raid

Residents urged to check for glitches in credit, bank records

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Nov 8, 2005, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Portland police are warning people to check their credit records and bank accounts after recovering during a drug raid a computer with personal information that could be used to steal the identities of hundreds of thousands of people.

The information included mailing lists that once were sold legally by the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles and credit information Ñ including information from credit bureaus Ñ that probably was obtained illegally. Details include hundreds of thousands of names, birth dates, home addresses, Social Security numbers and credit scores.

According to Sgt. Mike Krantz of the East Precinct Crime Reduction Unit, the information could be combined to create false charge accounts in the names of real people.

No one has been charged with any crime in the raid, which occurred on the evening of Nov. 2.

According to police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz, CRU members were watching an apartment located in the 13700 block of Southeast Stark Street after receiving information that small amounts of methamphetamine were being distributed there. During the surveillance, officers stopped two people who were in possession of methamphetamine.

The officers then contacted the occupants of the apartment and received their consent to search it. During the search, the officers found evidence of drug use and distribution, including pipes with small amounts of methamphetamane residue, Schmautz said.

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