Active, retired military warned of identity theft

Monday, Dec. 30, 2002 | 11:11 a.m.

More than 25,000 Nevada military personnel and military retirees will receive letters this week warning that someone has their Social Security numbers and enough additional personal information to steal their identities and wreak havoc with their lives.

Officials said Friday that no identity theft crimes had been reported yet related to a result of a Dec. 14 burglary of TriWest Healthcare Alliance in Phoenix.

TriWest is contracted with the Defense Department for administration of the TRICARE managed care program for Nevada and 15 other states.

Taken in the heist were computer hard drives containing the Social Security numbers, addresses and other records of an estimated 500,000 military members, their families and retirees.

"We mailed letters to 25,157 Nevadans to explain the risks they may face," Jim Kassebaum, a spokesman for TriWest, said. "However, we stress that so far the only victim has been the government, whose records were stolen.

"This was not a hacking of our computer system or a case where someone climbed in through a window that was left open. It was a serious breach of a secured building."

The TriWest theft was a topic of conversation among military retirees Friday, including a group of five Green Beret veterans meeting at the DI Inn Zone restaurant and bar on Desert Inn Road.

"Several of us thought they broke in just to steal the computers not knowing what might be on them," said George Dunaway of Special Forces Post 51 and a sergeant major in the Army from 1968-70.

"Even if (the thieves) know what's on the computers they would need to know codes to get to the information. There was no fear at all in our group that they will ever get to use it. The government will run them down."

Nevertheless, Dunaway, whose group has 87 members, said he will read his letter carefully when he gets it and pass the information on to his comrades.

Nellis Air Force Base, which has made an ongoing effort to help protect its personnel against identity theft, said the TriWest theft could affect as many as 7,000 military personnel employed on the base.

"Periodically we have published information in the base newspaper on this issue," Nellis spokesman Maj. Vic Hines said. But, he acknowledged, those tips have dealt more with prevention than reaction to identity theft.

The advice in the base newspaper has included not giving Social Security numbers or bank account numbers to callers claiming to be from a government agency. The base has also advised personnel to shred on-the-job paperwork that has a Social Security or bank account number on it before throwing it in the trash.

Kassebaum said people who suspect they are a victim of identity theft need to act quickly.

First, he said, they should contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus and request that a "fraud alert" be placed in their file. They also should ask that creditors be alerted to call them before opening any new accounts or changing any existing accounts.

Victims of identity theft also should close or suspend any accounts that may have been tampered with or opened fraudulently, Kassebaum said. Then they should file a police report with local police or authorities, he said.

More information

For more information on the TriWest theft, e-mail computertheft@triwest.com, or call (888) 339-9378.

Identity theft victims can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Hotline, (877) IDTHEFT or (202) 326-2502.

Write the FTC at: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20580. Website: www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Social Security Fraud Hotline: (800) 269-0271. Website: www.ssa.gov/oig/guidelin.htm