Audit: Car Dealer Employee Gives Friend Access To 3,700 MN Vehicle Records

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Letters are on their way to 3,700 Minnesotans whose vehicle records were illegally viewed by someone at a car repossession company, the Department of Public Safety said.

The department's Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) agency said it has detected and stopped the unauthorized viewing. However, those affected should watch their credit reports, the agency said.

The illegal access discovery came during an agency audit, which found that a car dealer employee, who was authorized to view vehicle records, gave login information to a friend in the repossession business. That friend then may have viewed the records or allowed others in his company to do so.

The data in the records included vehicle identification numbers, vehicle descriptions, and the name, address, and date of birth of the vehicle owner.

The agency said the data was not used for criminal purposes. However, the findings of the audit are now in the hands of law enforcement authorities for further investigation. Criminal charges are possible.