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May 19, 2005
Washington D.C. — (AP) - Federal agents have carried out searches in at least two states as part of the investigation of the theft of Social Security numbers and other personal information from database giant LexisNexis Inc.
Secret Service and FBI agents executed search warrants in Minnesota, while FBI agents conducted 10 searches in northern California, federal law enforcement officials said Thursday.
"It's definitely the LexisNexis case," Mike Brooks, an FBI spokesman in Ohio, said about the searches in Minnesota.
No arrests have been made in conection with the searches, which were carried out in recent days.
Dayton-based LexisNexis declined to comment Thursday. Secret Service officials did not immediately provide comment.
LexisNexis revealed in March that hackers had commandeered a database, gaining access to the personal files of as many as 32,000 people.
Federal and company investigators have been looking into the breach at Seisint Inc., which was recently acquired by LexisNexis and includes millions of personal files for use by such customers as police and legal professionals.
Information accessed included names, addresses and Social Security and driver's license numbers, but not credit history, medical records or financial information, corporate parent Reed Elsevier Group PLC said in a statement.
It was the second such infiltration at a large database provider in recent months. Rival ChoicePoint Inc. said in February that the personal information of 145,000 Americans may have been compromised by thieves posing as small business customers.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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