Veterans should be alert to signs of identity theft, Shin warns

OLYMPIA – Military veterans should prepare to protect their accounts at the first indication they might be victims of identity theft, Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, said today.

Shin issued his warning in the wake of reports Monday that the electronic records of 26.5 million U.S. military veterans have been stolen from the home of a data analyst for the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The data includes the names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth of living service members discharged since 1975, as well as some of their spouses, and could be used to open credit card or cell phone accounts.

“Identify theft is a despicable and potentially devastating crime, and one that is growing every day,” Shin said. “I strongly urge any veterans who might be at risk at this time to take full advantage of the protections afforded under Washington law.”

Under state law, a victim of identity theft who has submitted a valid police report to a consumer reporting agency can place a security freeze on his or her report by sending a written request by certified mail to a consumer reporting agency. This prevents the release of a consumer’s credit report to a third party without express authorization from the consumer. Victims can also request a fraud alert.

Information on these and other options is available through the state attorney general’s office, on its main Web page at http://www.atg.wa.gov/. Click the link for “identity theft” near the bottom of the page.

Officials at Veterans Affairs said the theft was one of a series of burglaries in the analyst’s neighborhood and was unlikely to have been targeted for the veterans’ information. Still, they urged veterans to monitor credit card and bank accounts for signs of unusual activities.

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