Certain Elements of Military Life May Be Putting Soldiers and Their Families At Greater Risk

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There is something heroic and commanding about the presence of a soldier in uniform. Whether or not you agree with the politics behind different wars that are being fought, one thing is certain: a soldier in battle is heroic. But there are some battles soldiers should never have to fight. The battle of identity theft is one of them.

In addition to the regular hassles a victim of identity theft has to endure (like a bad credit rating, higher interest rates, etc…) military personnel have other obstacles they must overcome if they have been victimized by identity theft. Their security clearance or the opportunity for advancement might be put on the line by a negative credit history that really doesn’t belong to them.

The United States military has determined that identity theft is such a serious threat that special precautions and measures are being taken to protect military personnel and their families from unnecessary risk and exposure. Currently, steps are being taken to minimize the risks posed exclusively to servicemen and women.

Unique Risks for Military Personnel

Since 1969 the United States military has printed full (nine digits) social security numbers on all government issued military ID cards. In addition to that, social security numbers are printed on all dog tags, clothing, duffle bags and military records. This greatly increases a serviceperson’s risk of having his or her identity stolen. It makes them vulnerable to other military personnel, civilians working for the Department of Defense, the enemy and even people who may handle their bags while they are traveling to and from leave via commercial airlines.

But in April of 2008, the Department of Defense agreed with those who had been victimized and raised complaints. The United States government was failing to protect the very men and women who fight to protect the nation as a whole. So a plan was put into place to reissue all military ID cards to contain only the last four digits of a social security number. Because this is a large and time consuming task, it is not expected to be completed until the end of 2010. But military personnel can rest assured that the Department of Defense is working to eliminate that extra measure of vulnerability.

In addition to that, there are several unique ways military personnel and their immediate families can seek to protect themselves from identity theft.

Help Offered to Military Personnel

If you are in the military, and you are being deployed overseas, you can contact any of the three major credit reporting agencies and request that an “Active Duty Alert” be placed on your credit file. By doing this you are ensuring that no new credit can be opened in your name while you are out of the country. Initial Active Duty Alerts are good for one year, but they can be renewed free of charge should your deployment last longer than one year. If your deployment lasts less than one year, you can have the alert lifted upon your return to the states. When you contact one of the major credit bureaus, they are required to contact the other two on your behalf. You can find the contact information for each bureau at:

experian.com
equifax.com
transunion.com

The Federal Trade Commission has also partnered with the Department of Defense to create The Military Sentinel, a website designed to offer help and resources to military personnel who may have been victimized by identity theft. You can visit their website at: http://www.consumer.gov/military/.

In addition to that, identity theft experts recommend that all active duty military personnel consider drafting powers of attorney for financial and identity theft issues which would allow a spouse or family member to act on their behalf should their identity be stolen while they are deployed.

What to Do if You Have Been Victimized

If you are a member of the military, and you believe you have been a victim of id theft, there are some specific steps you need to follow in addition to contacting one of the credit bureaus, your bank and credit card company and possibly the Department of Motor Vehicles. Because of the unique circumstances surrounding your situation, you also need to make sure you:

Report the identity theft to your chain of command
Submit sufficient evidence of the identity theft to your legal assistance office
File a complaint with the Military Sentinel

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. Don’t go down easy. Fight the enemy with everything you have. Protect yourself—and those you love—by taking every step you can to be victorious in the war that is identity theft. Get some more information from Army News Service on ID theft.