Any vets out there a little bugged by the data scandal?

[steely]

Just wondering.

I don't usually jump on the issue du jour, but this has me a bit steamed, and while I don't see every thread posted here or on each forum, I didn't think I saw much feedback (from some vets) against the dork and system who took our names and ssn's home with him for THREE YEARS. Just what I needed, another reason to be concerned about my retirement.

Maybe you were there, and I didn't recognize you.

And now I thought the response from the a-holes covered in the MSM was a bit slow shall we say.

You try to remain vigilant about such things, and some sh*tbird gets to take a cavalier attitude by taking my info home with him. He got suspended. Big woop - I would get fired if I didn't toe the line by the man where I work.

Ok - I vented, and my apologies if you sounded off. Just looking to connect here.

Thanks for serving.

[babylonsister]

1. Yes, lots of them, and here are some links to help!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1271773

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1274144

[steely]

2. Ahhhh - that's more like it. Thank you sooo much.

[TNDemo]

3. My cousin had his identity stolen a couple of weeks ago

and he is a veteran. I have no idea if this is related to it or not but they wiped him out - savings and everything and charged up the credit card to the hilt.

[steely]

7. One can only guess - it IS a coincidence

I hope your cousin's OK.

[Breeze54]

4. I'm not a vet but I am

concerned for my two older brothers (Vietnam vets)
and my two oldest sons, (oldest an Iraq Vet)
Second oldest in the Marine Reserves (Served 4 years Active).

http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4952773

Local veterans worried about identity theft
May 26, 2006 12:13 AM

snip-->
"Cecil Johnson is an id theft expert. He said, "Unfortunately with identity theft,
40% of victims aren't even aware they're a victim for the first two years."
He encourages all concerned veterans to carefully check your bank statements,
your credit card bills and monitor your credit report as often as possible.

"Now, if you're in this situation where there has been a security breach,
then you probably want to look at it three, four, five times a year,
just to make sure that the activity on there is your activity," Johnson said.

Officials said that the stolen records are those of veterans who were discharged
from 1975 up until now. If you want to check to see if your information was taken,
you can call 1-800-FED-INFO, or you can visit www.firstgov.com." <--snip

[steely]

6. Thanks for the link, and good luck to your guys.

I couldn't tell from the news reports who's data was taken.

This phone number will help.

[Breeze54]

11. Here's some more info. I found...

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/money/9267823/detail.html

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/download/2006/0522/9254970.pdf <<<---PDF file (You need Adobe Acrobat)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2006

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

-More-

Frequently Asked Questions // 2
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: [phone], online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or by 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).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I heard on the news that you can put a FRAUD ALERT on your credit report,
by calling any one of the credit reporting agencies.
If you call one, they will share the info. with ALL THREE!!!
Make just one phone call!

Call Equifax: 1-800-525-6285,

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742),

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

or one of them and request a Fraud Alert be attached to your credit report!

Thanks for the well wishes!
;)

[steely]

9. I called the 1-800 number - they couldn't give me any details

The woman was kind enough to tell me to assume ALL LIVING veterans could be affected, and that "an investigation was ongoing", and that they would contact the veterans. I asked if only those affected would be contacted, or if all veterans would be told, but I got a standard response that I would categorize as satisfactory. My feeling was that I was dealing with a person who was trying, but who was minimally trained (although here heart seemed to be in the right place - like that make you feel better).

Bottom line - you are on your own guys and gals.
Thanks for serving and have a nice day.

[lonestarnot]

5. Likewise steely. Doesn't make for a good night's sleep for sure, if you

see how much they really give a shit. Kids over there with their asses on the line come home to this.

[steely]

8. Exactly - who is looking out for them?

Why did it take a week for the admin to take interest?
It only took Kerry a day to 2 to submit something for lesislation.
Given the current sit over there, the response should have been a little more automatic to protect the current and future vets. Shows you where their (repubs) hearts are at.

[DiverDave]

10. Bugged?

I'm pissed OFF!
I have been having alot of trouble with injuries in the last 6 years. (not service connected)
Or credit took a huge hit.
I am finally getting back on an even keel...we should be in much better shape in 6-10 months.
Unless, of course, someone decides to get a few "rebuild your credit" cards in my name...
Yeah, I'm "bugged":grr:

[steely]

12. I'm WAY Pissed too, man.

I was just asking, because in the few threads I saw on this here, I did not see the numbers of inflamed folks I expected to see. There's more activity on a Kudzu thread - sad state. Maybe I have my head in the sand.

Sorry you're getting the bad end of this. This is completely fucked up. The web sites and the phone number I called offer no info - just to be "vigilant". WTF is that all about?