Airmen encouraged to deter identity theft

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joel Mease
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A few unlucky Airmen across the Air Force are experiencing one of the most aggravating and possibly fiscally damaging events a thief can do to them - identity theft. 

It can happen to anyone, anywhere. No one is excluded from the possibility of their identity from being stolen. It even happened to a vice wing commander from an overseas base, said Agent David Donovan II, Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
One concern OSI officials have encountered when dealing with identity theft is the World Wide Web. 

Airmen may not realize when they post personnel information on networking sites similar to ones like Face Book and My Space they may be letting valuable pieces of information about themselves out to people who look to steal identities. Identity thieves could use that information gathered to set up dummy accounts on Web sites intended for selling items, Agent Donovan said. 

OSI officials recommend discretion when posting information about a person's self on the internet especially when it comes to identifying themselves as American servicemembers. 

"Just being an American we already have a target on us," Agent Donovan said. "Adding to the fact we are in the military can make that target it even bigger. Because of this we have to be a little bit more vigilant about what we say about ourselves." 

Another way identity thieves target their victims is one most may not even think about - our trash. 

Theft of identity is also common in a common practice known as dumpster diving. Bills and documents individuals throw away on a weekly basis can add up to valuable information for a thief looking to steal an identity. OSI recommends shredding documents like bills and credit card applications. It is also recommended to have the post office temporarily hold mail if a person is leaving town for an extended period of time. 

Ever get an e-mail from a Nigerian Banker claiming to have found millions of dollars, a call from a bank claiming to need personnel information, or maybe even the Red Cross claiming a family member was wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan but they need more information? These are all examples of phishing a practice identity thieves use to target large amounts of people in hopes of a few being tricked into falling for their scheme. 

"Legitimate institutions already know your personnel information," Agent Donovan said. "If it sounds suspicious or too good to be true, it probably is. Nothing says you can't contact the bank or other businesses to find out if what is said is actually true."
Sometimes a thief is a little bit more direct about getting valuable information by flat out stealing a person's purse or wallet. 

"It's never a good idea to carry your social security card on your person," Agent Donovan said. "You should also look to safeguard your personal identification like drivers license and military ID." 

An Airman might also find it difficult to fight identity theft while deployed, so the government has made it easier for servicemembers to deter unwanted theft by placing an active duty alert. 

"If an Airman is going to deploy and is not expecting to make any major purchases like a car or house while gone he or she can place an active duty alert on his credit report by contacting any of the major credit reporting agencies," Agent Donovan said. "The alert requires creditors to take extra steps to verify identity before getting credit put down in the deployed person's name." 

If an Airman does encounter identity theft, OSI recommends calling them as soon as possible. 

"We will be able to assist you or at least point you in the right direction if your identity is stolen," Agent Donovan said. 

More information about preventing identity theft can be found at www.ftc.gov/idtheft