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Jun 1, 2006
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Jun 1, 2006
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| Online Phonebook | Sandhills Guide | Business News | National News |
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BY FLORENCE GILKESON: Senior Writer Military veterans are being cautioned to keep a sharp eye on their credit records.
That's because no one knows what happened to millions of personal records stolen from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or to what use that information will be applied. George Hunt, Moore County veterans' officer, said his office has been receiving several calls a day ever since the thievery became public knowledge. "We're advising them to be diligent in checking their credit accounts," Hunt said. Hunt said the stolen records largely affect veterans of the Vietnam War era. The VA reports that most of the stolen records are those of veterans discharged in or after 1975. So far, no reports of actual identity theft or misuse of sensitive personal information have been received. But that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Hunt said some veterans have taken such steps as freezing their credit cards, but he thinks such radical action is not needed. "I think the main thing is to be diligent in making sure your credit reports are accurate. If anything is amiss, it should be reported immediately," Hunt said. The Moore County Veterans Office serves an estimated 11,000 veterans dating to World War II and including military retirees returning from service in Afghanistan and Iraq. The theft of personal data on 26.5 million veterans has been described as the largest unauthorized disclosure ever of personal Social Security data. In North Carolina, however, there was a time when information on veterans was available to the general public through the Register of Deeds office. Veterans' discharge papers were classified as public records and were available to anyone wishing to check on an individual veteran. Hunt said that has been changed, and access is now limited only to the individual veteran or to certified government officials, such as himself when assisting a veteran with an application or claim. Concern about access to these records, including Social Security numbers, was widespread several years ago. Hunt said the organization representing veterans service officers and the state Register of Deeds organization approached the state legislature and succeeded in changing the public access status of those records. Veterans' private records are no longer subject to public access. Theft of the veterans' records did not become public knowledge for several weeks after the burglary occurred. VA officials reported that a mid-level data analyst was the victim of a home burglary. He had taken a laptop home to work on a department project, and the computer was stolen along with other items from the home. The information stored in the hard drive included Social Security numbers, birth dates and similar data but did not include medical records and financial information, the VA reported. Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson told news reporters that the VA employee is not involved in the theft. He said that the area where the employee lives had been subject to a series of burglaries during the period when the theft occurred. Nicholson also expressed some doubt that the thief, or thieves, actually knows the significance of the information pilfered from the VA. The VA provided this advice to veterans who may be affected by the theft: -- Carefully monitor bank statements, credit card statements and any statements relating to recent financial transactions. -- If you see evidence of suspicious activity, report it immediately to the financial institution involved and contact the Federal Trade Commission. Next, close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. -- Contact the fraud department of one of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, (800) 525-6285 or at www.equifax.com; Experian, (888) 397-3742 or www.experian.com; or TransUnion, (800) 680-7289 or www.transunion.com. Additional information is available at 800-333-4636 or www.firstgov.gov.
Florence Gilkeson can be reached at 947-4962 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com. |
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