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Attention Veterans!

fedup2

Well-known member
Monday, May 22, 2006;



WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Personal data on about 26.5 million U.S. military veterans was stolen from the residence of a Department of Veterans Affairs data analyst who improperly took the material home, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said Monday.

The data included names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth for the veterans, Nicholson said, but "there is no indication at this time" that the data had been used for identify theft.

Nicholson said the theft of the data took place this month, but declined to identify the employee or the location of the burglary.

"The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. We have a full-scale investigation going on in this," Nicholson told reporters by telephone.

He said the FBI, local law enforcement authorities and his department's inspector general's office were looking into the matter.

"They believe that this was a random burglary and not targeted at this data," Nicholson added, saying there had been a series of burglaries in the community where the employee lived.

Nicholson identified the employee only as a male career department worker, not a political appointee.

He said the employee "took home a considerable amount of electronic data from the VA which he was not authorized to do. It was in violation of our rules and regulations and policies."
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Update:

-Here are some questions you may have about this incident, and their answers.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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 by mail at Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20580.

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.

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.

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 that features up-to-date news and information. Please visit www.firstgov.gov or call 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636).
 

Team1roper

Well-known member
That scares me now days
I never know who has all my information and what their doing with it and when it gets in the wrong hands
I have had someone steal stuff like this from me before but were not smart enough to use it to the fullest extent and I was smart enough to contact police as soon as I figured out that it had happened
But i could turn into a real mess
 

fedup2

Well-known member
Here is another scary part, (for me anyway). I receive a VA disability check. (several disabilities from VietNam) When I want to change my direct deposit or address where I have the check mailed, (I have done it both ways) I call the VA and tell them what I want done with the check. They ask me my name, last 4 of my social, present address, b-day etc. then make the change.
The information asked, is exactly the information that was stolen! It would be very simple for someone with this information to have my check sent to them.

Many years ago, I had a federal firearms license. The sheriff did a check and found 104 ‘characters’ with the same name as mine. They would have no problems cashing my check. The VA is severely under budgeted, yet they keep cutting away with no thought as to what they are compromising.
When it comes to the VA, I feel like a Bic lighter! Use you and throw you away!
 

katrina

Well-known member
Fedup2, I want you to know that I am very proud and honored for what you have done for my (our) country... And I hope that you never feel that we don't care about what you have done for us.. Because I do... What can I do??? Maybe the squeaky wheel gets the oil.....
 

Jinglebob

Well-known member
Team1roper said:
That scares me now days
I never know who has all my information and what their doing with it and when it gets in the wrong hands
I have had someone steal stuff like this from me before but were not smart enough to use it to the fullest extent and I was smart enough to contact police as soon as I figured out that it had happened
But i could turn into a real mess

This is the very reason some of us are not so keen on the National ID program, run by the government.
 

fedup2

Well-known member
I could write volumes about the VA and how I was treated there. It was and is a nightmare! A local TV station wanted to do a story on my life and how my treatment affected it. I declined and now believe it was a mistake as it may have helped others. At the time, I just couldn’t deal with anymore. Through it all, my wife stood beside me. If it hadn’t have been for her, I would have quit several times. BTW: yesterday was our 35th anniversary.

Her way of supporting veterans is to give blood every chance she gets. I can tell when they refuse her blood because her iron count is low. She is so disappointed, it is hard for me to watch. She does this because of the many transfusions I had. It is her way of helping and paying back for the blood I needed.
She is a very quiet person and doesn’t say much, unless!, she sees someone showing disrespect for the flag.

Katrina, I thank you for the very kind words. I am also proud of people like you who make up this great country. ( Not perfect country, but great!) Most veterans ask for nothing except what they were promised. No.1 being decent health care! I would like to share some stories of my medical treatment, but I wouldn’t know where to stop!

As far as deployed veterans, I can only tell you of my personal experience. Although I did appreciate the occasional box of goodies, I looked forward to news from home. I felt so detached from the world! I enjoyed sections from the local newspaper, letters from people, not saying what they thought I wanted to hear, but, the everyday things that kept me in touch & kept things in perspective. It may have seemed boring to them as they wrote it, but were the most welcomed letters for me. Made me feel like I was still part of something I cared for. Home! Thanks again to you and others who care for these men & women who are giving up so much for so many, even those who don’t seem to give a damn!
 

passin thru

Well-known member
The thing that burns me up, when a veteran goes to the VA clinic here they are lumped in with all the welfare recips getting their free medical care. I am sorry but these veterans deserve more respect than that........PERIOD. They are treated as they are getting a handout :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 

ranchwife

Well-known member
passin thru said:
The thing that burns me up, when a veteran goes to the VA clinic here they are lumped in with all the welfare recips getting their free medical care. I am sorry but these veterans deserve more respect than that........PERIOD. They are treated as they are getting a handout :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 

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