26.5 Million Veterans at Risk for Identity Theft
Sunday, June 4, 2006 at 04:25PM On May 3, 2006, a burglary occurred at the home of an employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a data analyst. Stolen from the employee’s home was a laptop computer containing unencrypted electronic data. This data contained identifying information — including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth — for up to 26.5 million veterans and some spouses, as well as some disability ratings. The data pertained to veterans discharged after 1975 and those receiving VA benefits. According to the VA, the affected data did not include any health records nor any financial information.
If you were discharged after 1975 or are receiving VA benefits, you should take the steps recommended by the Veteran’s Administration that are outlined below.
- Place an initial fraud alert on your credit cards.
A Fraud Alert is a consumer statement added to your credit file that lasts for 90 days. It alerts creditors of possible fraudulent activity and requests that they contact you prior to establishing any new credit in your name. (Note: You may find it more difficult to obtain new credit while there is a fraud alert on your credit file.)
Contact any one of the three consumer reporting companies to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert — the company you contact is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too.
When you place a fraud alert with one of these companies, you’ll receive written information about ordering one free credit report from each of the companies and other important information.
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Under the FACT Act amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you’re entitled to one free credit file disclosure from each of the nationwise credit reporting agencies in a 12-month period. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free 1-877-322-8228 to order your report.
Once you get your credit reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries from companies you have not contacted, accounts you did not open, and debts on your accounts you cannot explain. Ensure that your information, such as Social Security number, address(es), name or initials and names of employers are correct. If you discover fraudulent or inaccurate information, place a fraud alert on your file, if you have not already done so (see Option 1). Then immediately follow these critically important steps (www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_steps.htm) from the Federal Trade Commission.
Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially over the first year you discover your personal data may have been compromise, to make sure no fraudulent activity has occurred.
Frequently Asked Questions on VA’s Letter to Veterans
1 - I’m a veteran, how can I tell if my information was compromised?
At this point there is no evidence that any missing data has been used illegally. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs is asking all veterans to be extra vigilant and to carefully monitor bank statements, credit card statements and any statements relating to recent financial transactions. If you notice unusual or suspicious activity, you should report it immediately to the financial institution involved and contact the Federal Trade Commission for further guidance.
2 - What is the earliest date at which suspicious activity might have occurred due to this data breach?
The information was stolen from an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs during the month of May, 2006. If the data has been misused or otherwise used to commit fraud or identity theft crimes, it is likely that veterans may notice suspicious activity during the month of May.
3 - I haven’t noticed any suspicious activity in my financial statements, but what can I do to protect myself and prevent being victimized by credit card fraud or identity theft?
The Department of Veterans Affairs strongly recommends that veterans closely monitor their financial statements and visit the Department of Veterans Affairs special website on this, www.firstgov.gov or call 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636).
4 - Should I reach out to my financial institutions or will the Department of Veterans Affairs do this for me?
The Department of Veterans Affairs does not believe that it is necessary to contact financial institutions or cancel credit cards and bank accounts, unless you detect suspicious activity.
5 - Where should I report suspicious or unusual activity?
The Federal Trade Commission recommends the following four steps if you detect suspicious activity:
Step 1 – Contact the fraud department of one of the three major credit bureaus:
- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
- Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, Texas 75013
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289: www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Step 2 – Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Step 3 – File a police report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
Step 4 – File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by using the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline by telephone: 1-877-438-4338, online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or mail at Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20580.
6 - I know the Department of Veterans Affairs maintains my health records electronically; was this information also compromised?
No electronic medical records were compromised. The data lost is primarily limited to an individual’s name, date of birth, social security number, in some cases their spouse’s information, as well as some disability ratings. However, this information could still be of potential use to identity thieves and we recommend that all veterans be extra vigilant in monitoring for signs of potential identity theft or misuse of this information.
7 - What is the Department of Veterans Affairs doing to insure that this does not happen again?
The Department of Veterans Affairs is working with the President’s Identity Theft Task Force, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate this data breach and to develop safeguards against similar incidents. The Department of Veterans Affairs has directed all VA employees complete the “VA Cyber Security Awareness Training Course” and complete the separate “General Employee Privacy Awareness Course” by June 30, 2006. In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs will immediately be conducting an inventory and review of all current positions requiring access to sensitive VA data and require all employees requiring access to sensitive VA data to undergo an updated National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) and/or a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) depending on the level of access required by the responsibilities associated with their position. Appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, have launched full-scale investigations into this matter.
8 - Where can I get further, up-to-date information?
The Department of Veterans Affairs has set up a special website and a toll-free telephone number for veterans which features up-to-date news and information. Please visit www.firstgov.gov or call 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636).
Information provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs
Dawn Turner
Blog Development and Management
The SearchLogix Group
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