B.C. Mounties bust major ID theft 'hub' in Surrey

Last Updated: Thursday, February 28, 2008 | 4:50 PM MT

CBC News

A major identity-theft operation in B.C., run out of a home in the Metro Vancouver neighbourhood of Newton, has been broken up by the RCMP.

Credit card-making equipment that was deployed by a Metro Vancouver identity theft operation which has been busted by police.
(CBC)

The basement of a house at 141 St. and 72A Ave. in Surrey was a mid-level "hub" where stolen mail and identification was brought for processing, investigators said at a press conference Thursday morning in Surrey.

Police said those who ran the operation were using stolen identity documents and counterfeiting equipment to create new identification and fraudulent credit cards.

The fake documents and credit cards were then sold at profit to people who used them to purchase goods.

Credit cards were among the items recovered by the RCMP in bust of an identity theft operation in Metro Vancouver.
(CBC)

Police seized a wide range of evidence in a Feb. 12 bust, including Canada Post uniforms, credit card-making equipment and 2,400 pieces of stolen mail from 24 cities across B.C. and Alberta.

Two people have been charged with fraud, possession of stolen property and numerous other offences, and charges are pending against five others, police said.

More than 100 CDs were also found in the home. Police said they believe the CDs contained personal data profiles listing victims' names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, maiden names, social insurance numbers, employer information, number of years service with a company, annual income and names of spouses and children.

Police seized a wide range of evidence in a Feb. 12 bust of a Metro Vancouver identity theft operation, including Canada Post uniforms.
(CBC)

One CD was found to contain approximately 3,000 profiles, while a second was suspected to contain 20,000 personal profiles.

The mail was likely stolen from businesses and homes after delivery, as well as from vehicles and discarded personal documents that had not been shredded, alleged police.

The recovered mail, some of it dating back to 1998, was being held as evidence. It will be released back to Canada Post for re-delivery after the investigation, police said.

Items found in the home included:

• 2,400 pieces of mail stolen after delivery.
• Credit card-making equipment and blank plastic cards.
• Printers, computers, embossers, card readers and debit terminals.
• Material for the manufacture of counterfeit currency.
• Magnetic strips and various types of foil used to make them.
• Uniforms and satchels belonging to Canada Post.
• More than 100 driver's licences from B.C. and other provinces and the U.S.
• More than 500 credit cards from various financial institutions.
• Hundreds of points and rewards cards.
• 12 international passports.
• More than 75 medical cards.
• More than 30 government-issued cheques.
• Hundreds of filled-in tax returns and related tax-return papers.
• Canada Post money orders.
• Cheques from multiple businesses.
• Personal cheques containing bank account information.
• A light board used to trace signatures from receipts.
• Counterfeit currency templates used to manufacture Canadian currency.
• Templates for the creation of driver's licences.
• More than 200 grams of the drug crystal meth.
• A sawed-off .22-calibre rifle.

Police said Tanya Aschert, 27, and Timothy Bradley Moisan, 34, both of Surrey, have been charged with:

• Fraud.
• Impersonation with intent to gain advantage.
• Possession of counterfeit monies.
• Unauthorized use of credit card data.
• Possession of stolen property.
• Making/possession of forgery instruments.
• Possession of break-in instruments.