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Military Identity Theft Protection

Information about how to protect you and your family from identity theft.

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Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

Identity theft involves someone utilizing your identifying information in order to acquire goods or services in your name through the use of credit or debit cards, checks, or other documents. In the worst cases, these identity thieves make enormous unauthorized purchases.

By law, once you report the loss, theft or fraud, you have no further responsibility for unauthorized charges. In any event, your maximum liability under federal law is $50 per card, and most issuers will waive the fee. The bad news is that clearing up your credit records requires significant effort and can take a year or even longer.

By monitoring your personal finances and following the suggestions on this page, you may be able to prevent or minimize losses due to issues of fraud and identity theft. It is important to act quickly, effectively, and assertively to minimize the damage.

Identity theft is a considerable problem for anyone, but is severely compounded by the rigors of military life. Members of the military are often deployed to locations far away from family members and can be more dependent on ATMs, credit cards, and other remote access financial services.

Detecting Identity Theft

The first line of defense is awareness. Look out for:

Unusual purchases on your credit cards

Being denied a loan you qualify for

Bank statements don't agree with personal records

Unexplained changes in your bank access codes

Missing credit card bills or other mail

Unusual calls regarding your personal or financial information

Unexplained charges on phone or other consumer accounts.

If you suspect that someone is illegally using your identity or making charges in your name, immediately call the organization handling the account and follow up with a letter.

How Best to Prevent Identity Theft

Shred all credit card, bank and other financial statements

Always use secure WWW sites for Internet purchases

Do not discuss financial matters on wireless or cellular phones

Write or call the Department of Motor Vehicles to have your personal information protected from disclosure

Do not use your mother's maiden name as a password on your credit cards

Thoroughly review all bank, credit card and phone statements for unusual activity

Monitor when new credit cards, checks or ATM cards are being mailed to you and report any that are missing or late

Close all unused credit/ bank accounts and destroy old credit cards and shred unused credit card offers

Remove your social security number from checks, Drivers ID or other ID

Always ask for the carbon papers of credit purchases

Do not leave outgoing credit card payments in your mailbox

Do not carry your Social Security Card in your wallet unless needed

Order your credit report once a year and look for any anomalies

What to Do If You're a Victim

Here are the initial actions victims of identity theft should take to begin the investigative and recovery process.

1. Report the crime to your local military criminal investigation office and local police immediately. File a detailed police report. Give them as much documented evidence and information as possible. Keep a copy of the incident report and give it to creditors, banks, and merchants who often ask for a copy of a police report as part of the fraud investigation.
2. Call the fraud unit at each of the big three credit bureaus to notify them of what has happened. Request copies of your credit reports and ask the bureaus to place a "fraud alert" in your files along with a message asking future creditors to verify by telephone any applications added to your report. Follow up with a written letter.
3. Do not pay any bill or charges that result from identity theft. Contact all creditors immediately with whom your name has been used fraudulently - by phone and in writing.
4. Write a "victim" statement of 100 words or less for each of the credit bureaus to include with your credit file.
5. Get copies of your credit reports, following your initial report, monthly for at least several months to check for any new fraudulent accounts. The credit agency should provide these for free.
6. Call all of your credit card issuers to close your accounts with the notation "account closed at consumer's request" and get new credit cards with new numbers.
7. Contact your financial institution and request new bank account numbers, ATM cards, and checks. Put "stop payments" on any outstanding checks that you are unsure of.
8. Give the bank, credit card and utility companies a NEW secret password and PIN numbers for new accounts. Do not use old PINs, passwords or your mother's maiden name.
9. Request a new driver's license with an alternate number from the Department of Motor Vehicles, and ask that a fraud alert be placed on your old one. Fill out a DMV complaint form to begin the fraud investigation process.
10. Contact the Social Security Administration and advise them of your situation. Ask them to flag your social security number for fraudulent use. Also order a copy of your Earnings and Benefits Statement and check it for accuracy. Changing your SSN is a difficult process and should only be used as a last resort.
11. Contact the post office and utility companies to ensure that no billing or address changes are made to your account without a written request from you. Request that all changes be verified.
12. If you have a passport, notify the passport office in writing to be on the lookout for anyone ordering a new passport in your name.
13. As appropriate, contact an attorney to help ensure that you are not victimized again while attempting to resolve this fraud. In order to prove your innocence, be prepared to fill out affidavits of forgeries for banks, credit grantors, and recipients of stolen checks.
14. Be persistent and follow up. Be aware that these measures may not entirely stop new fraudulent accounts from being opened by the imposter.

NOTE: Keep detailed written records of all conversations and actions taken to recover from identity theft. Include names, titles, date/time, phone number, exact circumstances and action requested. Note time spent and any expenses incurred. Send confirmation correspondence by certified mail (return receipt).

(Source: Naval Criminal Investigative Service)

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