Asks why incident was unreported
for 2 weeks, seeks credit reports for veterans

“I can assure you that Members of Congress are determined to prevent this unfortunate situation from repeating itself, and I plan on thoroughly addressing the issue with my colleagues in the coming weeks,” Tanner’s letter said. “But to approach the problem most effectively, Congress needs answers from you explaining why this incident was handled so poorly. Specifically, when was the Department notified of the theft and what discussions took place that apparently led to the decision against notifying law enforcement? Who is responsible for the decision to delay notifying law enforcement and more importantly, what was the rationale for such a decision?

“Our nation has a proud military tradition rooted in the courage of the individual soldier, sailor and Marine; the Department of Veterans Affairs embodies that spirit. I sincerely believe the Department’s many employees and managers have only the best intentions and would never purposefully betray the trust of America’s veterans. My fear is that the lax protection of personal information and the ensuing reaction by the Department to keep law enforcement in the dark will damage the credibility of your agency and betray the trust our American heroes place in their country to protect them as they fought to protect it.”

Tanner-backed bill would help vets monitor credit reports

Many have expressed concern that the compromised data could be used by identity thieves, who use personal data to obtain private credit information.

Congressman Tanner has joined U.S. Rep John Salazar (D-CO), a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, to co-sponsor HR 5455, The Veterans Identity Protection Act of 2006, introduced May 23. The bill would assist veterans whose data was compromised by offering one year of free credit monitoring and a free credit report each year for two years.

“Identity thieves cause serious long-term difficulties for their victims, and without proper monitoring, a victim may not know about his or her vulnerability until it is too late,” Tanner said. “We should help our veterans closely follow their financial records to ensure they do not become victims of this horrifying crime.”

Vets should keep eye on financial records, Tanner says

The Department of Veterans Affairs has said that the stolen information is limited to an individual’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and, in some cases, spouse information or disability ratings. This information could be of potential use to identity thieves, and it is recommended that all veterans be extra vigilant in monitoring for signs of potential identity theft or misuse of this information. The department maintains electronic health records for many veterans but has said no medical records were stolen.

Tanner said the important thing for Tennessee veterans is to closely follow their financial records such as bank and credit card statements and take note of any unusual activity.

The Federal Trade Commission recommends that you take the following steps if you notice suspicious activity you think may be related to credit fraud or identity theft:

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

2. Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.

3. File a police report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission’s by one of the follow methods:

• Calling the toll-free Identity Theft Hotline: 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261
• Writing to the Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580
• Filing a complaint online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft

You can get additional and up-to-date information about the stolen data by calling 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636) or checking www.firstgov.gov.

Representing Tennessee’s 8^th Congressional District, Rep John Tanner is a veteran of the United States Navy and the Tennessee Army National Guard, from which he retired in 2000 at the rank of Colonel.