Airmen need to act fast when identities are stolen

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Steve Staedler
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  When Lt. Col. Michael Welsh and his wife sat down for breakfast last year in New York City, he was expecting to pay around $30. Unfortunately the eggs, toast and coffee were about to drastically go up in price ... to the tune of $6,500. 

"It was just a little visit to a restaurant," said Colonel Welsh, staff judge advocate for the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. "I never thought it was going to happen to me. I was shocked when it happened." 

Colonel Welsh, like thousands of people each year, had his identity stolen. Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's name, Social Security number or credit card number to commit fraud. He suspects an employee at the restaurant either copied his credit card number and loaded it into a machine to make a duplicate, or swiped it through a memory machine to record the card's 16 digits. The colonel knows it was someone from the restaurant because it was the only place he used the card on the weekend trip to New York City. 

Two weeks later he received a call from his credit card company saying someone took a $6,500 cash advance from the card at a New York bank. Turns out the perpetrator used his credit card number and a phony California driver's license to withdraw the cash. 

"If you go to a restaurant and give up your credit card to the waiter, there's not much you can do," he said. "It was agony trying to convince the bank I wasn't the person who made the withdrawal. It was a long, painful process and took months to get it cleared. I was the victim and I had to prove I didn't do it." 

Colonel Welsh said identity theft is a growing problem not confined to any borders. All it takes is one act of carelessness or meeting up with a crooked employee and a person's identity can be quickly stolen. 

There are important steps to immediately take if military members suspect their identity has been stolen. 

First, call your credit card company to report if the card is lost or stolen. This will prevent any future purchases from being charged to the card, Colonel Welsh said.

Next, place a fraud alert on your credit, which freezes the account for 90 days. During the initial 90-day period you can still use your credit cards, however, you'll be asked to produce additional identification before making purchases with the credit cards. Fraud alerts also help prevent an identity theft from opening any new accounts in your name. 

"It's a little more hassle for you to use your credit cards, but it will be a little bit more hassle for crooks, too," the colonel said. "It's an added layer of security that does make a difference." 

After 90 days the fraud alert can be extended in one-year increments. 

Military members can also sign up for credit monitoring. This service allows people to set a certain purchase limit on their credit cards. When a purchase being made to the credit card exceeds the pre-determined limit, the monitoring service will contact the military member to verify his or her identity and validate the purchase. Colonel Welsh said many firms offer credit monitoring services, but recommends only going with a large, reputable firm. 

By virtue of being deployed, servicemembers can also place a special deployed alert on the credit that will ask them to produce additional identification at the point of purchase when using their credit card. All major credit cards offer this service to military members. Family members back home using the credit cards will also have to produce additional identification at the point of purchase. 

Colonel Welsh said to avoid any e-mail correspondence that seeks personal information. Identity thieves send out authentic-looking messages saying they are from banks or other corporations, requesting information to "update" their accounts. 

"Never give them any information," Colonel Welsh said. "They're all scams.

"Take steps now to protect your identity. Most people think it's not going to happen to them. But if you wait until you are a victim you're too late."

How identity thieves get your personal information:
Stealing your mail (bank and credit card statements).
Rummage through your trash.
Steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in a data storage device in a practice known as "skimming."
Steal your wallet or purse.
Complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
Steal personal information from you through e-mail or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming they have a problem with your account .

How identity thieves use your personal information:
They may open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the credit cards and don't pay bills, the delinquent accounts are reported on your credit report.
They may establish phone or wireless service in your name.
They may open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.
They may authorize electronic transfers in your name, and drain your bank account.
They may get identification such as a driver's license issued with their picture, in your name.

Immediate steps to take if you're a victim of identity theft:
Initiate a fraud alert on your credit
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7298; www.transunion.com
Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
File a report with local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
(Source: Federal Trade Commission)