Phone bank helps identify possible theft victims

A volunteer phone bank deployed Thursday by the Vancouver Police Department helped 17 people confirm their inclusion on a ledger of possible identify theft victims police recovered last month.

Members of the Neighbors on Watch program will be manning the phones again tonight, advising possible victims on what to do if their name is indeed on the list.

Police found the ledger listing 402 names April 9 at the scene of a disturbance in a home near Fisher’s Landing. It was in a plastic tub that also contained credit cards, driver’s licenses and stolen mail.

The phone line will be open beginning at 4 p.m. and deactivated at 8 p.m., according to Kim Kapp, a Vancouver Police spokeswoman.

Most but not all people who are named are believed to live in the Vancouver-Portland metro area. The roster specifies birth dates and Social Security numbers for some. It did not, however, include contact information, prompting police to post the ledger to their website.

Volunteers on Thursday fielded 460 calls.

Police are asking folks, before calling, to visit www.vanpolice.org and, under Current Topics, pull up Ledger List to see if they are named.

If so, call 360-487-7401.

Kapp said earlier this week officers have contacted numerous people whose names are listed and are investigating potential ID theft.