| Over 26.5 million veterans found
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| | medical information they should go many
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| themselves at risk for identity theft in
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| | steps further to protect their
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| 2006 when a federal employee's lap top
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| | information, their benefits and the
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| computer, containing important personal
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| | benefits for their family. Be sure to
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| information such as name, date of birth,
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| | install virus and anti spyware to protect
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| address and social security number, as
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| | information contained on your computer.
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| well as benefits eligibility. Another
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| | Do not conduct personal or financial
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| 16,000 veterans were at risk when a
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| | business at work, as it puts you at risk
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| government contractor's lap top computer
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| | of being overheard. You may not be as
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| was stolen from his home. It is a common
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| | protected by the business computer
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| practice for the VA to contract out
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| | security system as you think you are.
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| certain jobs such as software support and
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| | Consider placing a "credit freeze" on
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| insurance billing and claims resolution
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| | your credit information. This requires
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| to a subcontractor. According to a
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| | the three major credit agencies to
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| statement issued by the Veterans
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| | contact you to "lift" the freeze before
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| Administration this is done in order to
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| | making any changes to or issuing any new
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| provide better customer service. But what
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| | credit in your name. You may take steps
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| happens when this "customer service puts
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| | yourself to perform the credit freeze or
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| the customer at risk of identity theft
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| | you may use a service such as Trusted ID.
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| and false claims for benefits? In this
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| | In the event your credit, personal,
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| the most recent incident, of a
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| | financial or benefits information appears
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| contractor, the contracting company,
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| | to be at risk or "stolen" you should do
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| Unisys Corporation offered free credit
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| | the following: dispute the information on
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| reports to those affected. However, free
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| | your credit report and ask the three
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| annual credit reports are already
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| | major credit reporting agencies of
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| available through the Fair Credit
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| | TransUnion, Experian and Equifax to place
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| Reporting Act. The Veteran's
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| | a fraud flag on your credit file. Contact
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| Administration also claimed that it works
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| | the credit lenders and advise them of the
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| closely with contractors in developing
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| | situation as stated on your credit
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| the "highest standards" of protection and
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| | report. Placing a fraud alert insures
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| security. However, it does not designate
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| | that additional steps are taken before
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| what systems are in place to protect a
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| | new accounts or changes to existing
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| veteran's information. The federal
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| | account in your name can occur. Although
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| employee who took home veterans
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| | everyone should review their Social
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| information on a laptop computer was
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| | Security Benefit information to determine
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| required to undergo computer security and
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| | if their benefits have been illegally
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| regulations training. Thousands of people
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| | used, veterans in particular should
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| were or may have been affected by this
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| | review both the Social Security Benefits
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| lack of stringent rules regarding the
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| | statement as well as their Veterans
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| protection of their information. And the
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| | Benefits eligibility. To order a Social
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| options available to them after the
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| | Security Benefits report, contact the
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| information may have been released were
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| | Social Security Administration office.
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| not comforting. They were advised to
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| | The first step for protecting veteran's
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| obtain their free credit report, monitor
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| | information is for government agencies
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| it (at an additional charge to the
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| | and contractors to take those efforts
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| veteran) and then to report to local law
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| | necessary to protect this information.
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| enforcement authorities any problems with
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| | The next step is for veteran's to do all
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| their credit or instances of identity
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| | that they can to keep their information
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| theft. Veteran's circumstances and the
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| | private. However, in the event these
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| effects of identity theft are unique.
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| | efforts are not effective veterans much
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| Many veterans are recipients of
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| | report and dispute false or incorrect
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| additional benefits such as education and
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| | information on their credit report or
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| medical that most people are not. Their
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| | other service reports. It is necessary
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| children may also be eligible for
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| | after reporting to the local law
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| specific benefits, either monetary,
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| | enforcement to contact the Veteran's
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| educational, home buying or medical. This
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| | Administration office as well as your
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| makes identity theft, an already serious
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| | State's Attorney General's office and The
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| problem, even more complicated. Veteran's
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| | Federal Trade Commission by calling
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| whether they feel their information is at
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| | 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338).
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| risk or not should be extra vigilant. In
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| | Lisa Carey is a contributing author for
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| addition to taking many of the steps to
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| | Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and
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| protect their personal, financial, and
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| | protection.
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