D.C. schools at center of federal ID-theft probe

The U.S. Secret Service has raided a D.C. schools administrative office as part of a criminal investigation into how dozens of employees had their personal information stolen for bogus credit-card accounts.

Nobody has been charged in the investigation, but details about the probe emerged in at least three search-warrant affidavits filed in recent weeks in federal court in the District.

According to the records, investigators are focusing on an employee in the school system’s professional development office at G Street in Northeast.

The investigation has uncovered a list of 200 names and Social Security numbers, including about 50 school employees, according to one affidavit.

The documents state that a cooperating witness told investigators that the scheme involved one school-system employee who stole confidential personal information then sent it to another person to set up phony credit cards.

Using the bogus credit cards, the thieves racked up charges for electronic equipment, women’s apparel and other items, records show.

A spokesman for the Secret Service yesterday declined to comment on the investigation.

The Secret Service investigates criminal activity under a federal statute dealing with identity theft.

A spokeswoman for the school system declined to comment on the probe other than to say the person whose computer was seized during the raid no longer works for the school system.

An expert on identity theft said the statements outlined in the affidavits aren’t unusual.

“Studies show 70 percent of all identity theft is committed in part by those on the inside of corporations, businesses and government agencies,” said Robert Siciliano, chief executive of idtheftsecurity.com, a Boston-based security consulting firm.

“It’s a form of organized crime,” he said. “You have a hierarchy: the employee who’s transmitting the data, the person setting up the credit-card accounts, and the ‘mules’ they send out to make purchases.”

Mr. Siciliano said government agencies should have systems in place to monitor who is accessing personal data and why.

According to the affidavit, school-system employees, applicants and interns have had their personal information stolen.

“An employee and a co-conspirator have been opening credit card accounts using victims’ Social Security numbers and dates of birth without their knowledge or permission,” the affidavit states.

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