In today’s digital world, information is literally at our fingertips. You can check your bank statement, book a flight, buy a television, reconnect with old friends on a social networking site, or even watch a home video uploaded by someone halfway across the world.

Specifically pertaining to us veterans, one can now check their claim and appeal status, review their VA payment history, refill their VA-issued prescriptions, and file a new claim through VONAPP. But with this ever-increasing accessibility comes a hidden risk; your information is valuable, especially where it involves money, and there are people who would like to have what is yours. What I’m referring to is known as ‘identity theft.’

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

One of the best ways to protect against this threat is to know how thieves steal an identity. The following methods are the ones most commonly used by identity thieves:

  1. Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
  2. Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
  3. Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
  4. Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.
  5. Old-Fashioned Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access.
  6. Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.

Once the criminals have your information in hand, there are many things they can do: open up new accounts (i.e., credit card, utility, phone, bank), take out a loan in your name, get a government-issued ID with your information but their picture, and use your name and Social Security number to get government benefits.

A thief targeting your VA benefits might be able to change your direct deposit info to a new account, file a fraudulent benefits claim in your name, or perhaps change your mailing address, so when bills and notifications come, you’re totally unaware.

After equipping yourself with the above info, the next best step to take would be to monitor your accounts and bank statements each month, and check your credit report on a regular basis. Doing so may alert you that something is amiss, and that immediate action should be taken. If you use eBenefits, check that all of your contact, account and personal information have not changed. Make sure that you keep track of your Veterans Identification Card (VIC). The VIC contains veteran’s personal information (name and social security number) in the bar code, and some bar code readers have the ability to scan the bar code on the back of the card and reveal the Veteran’s name and social security number. Also, be sure to install-virus and anti-spyware to protect information contained on your computer and do not conduct personal or financial business at work, as it puts you at risk of being overheard. But even with constant vigilance on your part, sometimes the security of your personal data is out of your hands.

One of the largest breaches in the security of VA information occurred on May 3, 2006. What happened was this: the home of a VA data analyst was broken into and a laptop was stolen. Now, this seems simple, but it was the data on this laptop that made this heist so notorious. The lifted laptop 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.

In response to this event, VA attempted to contact nearly every living veteran by mail, letting them know what happened, and advised each and every one of them to take precautions. They also used the news media to disperse the story as widely as possible. Then, steps were taken internally in an effort to prevent something like this from ever happening again. But the information was already out there, and many veterans were now at risk.

So, what if you happened to be the target of identity theft; what next? The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you complete the following 4 steps as soon as possible, because the more time you take, the greater the potential damage to your finances and good name:

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your credit reports.

Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name. You should use the toll-free fraud number of any of the three consumer reporting companies listed below 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 call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. If you do not receive a confirmation from a company, you should contact that company directly to place a fraud alert.

–TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

–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 9554, Allen, TX 75013

After the fraud alert is place, use any of the three companies above to get a free credit report. In the report, look for inquiries from companies you haven’t contacted, accounts you didn’t open, and debts on your accounts that you can’t explain. Also, check that information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers are correct. Make sure to continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year after you discover the identity theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.

2. Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.

Call and speak with someone in the security or fraud department of each company. Then, follow up in writing, and include copies (keep your originals, like when filing a claim) of supporting documents. When sending your letters, use certified mail, and request a return receipt, so you can document what the company received and when. If the identity thief has made charges or debits on your accounts, or has fraudulently opened accounts, ask the company for the forms to dispute those transactions. Once you have resolved your identity theft dispute with the company, ask for a letter stating that the company has closed the disputed accounts and has discharged the fraudulent debts. This letter is your best proof if errors relating to this account reappear on your credit report or you are contacted again about the fraudulent debt.

3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form; or call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.

By sharing your identity theft complaint with the FTC, you will provide important information that can help law enforcement officials across the nation track down identity thieves and stop them. The FTC can refer victims’ complaints to other government agencies and companies for further action, as well as investigate companies for violations of laws the agency enforces.

Additionally, you can provide a printed copy of your online Complaint form to the police to incorporate into their police report. The printed FTC ID Theft Complaint, in conjunction with the police report, can constitute an Identity Theft Report and entitle you to certain protections. This Identity Theft Report can be used to (1) permanently block fraudulent information from appearing on your credit report; (2) ensure that debts do not reappear on your credit report; (3) prevent a company from continuing to collect debts that result from identity theft; and (4) place an extended fraud alert on your credit report.

4. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

Call your local police department and tell them that you want to file a report about your identity theft. Ask them if you can file the report in person. If you cannot file the report in person (the best option), ask if you can file a report over the Internet or telephone. Sometimes, the police are reluctant to take your report. If so, ask to file a “Miscellaneous Incident” report, or try another jurisdiction, like your state police. When you go to your local police department to file your report, bring a printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form*, your cover letter, and your supporting documentation. The cover letter explains why a police report and an ID Theft Complaint are so important to victims.
*Make sure to ask the officer to attach or incorporate the ID Theft Complaint into their police report.

The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In particular, government documents and benefits fraud is the second most common form of reported identity theft. While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and many days repairing damage to their good name and credit record. A veteran victimized by identity theft may lose out on job opportunities, or be denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit. But hopefully, armed with the material above, you won’t become just another number added to the large tally of identity theft victims. Take care and stay alert!

Stephen Fricano
National Service Officer