F
A Qs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2006
Frequently Asked Questions on VA’s Letter to Veterans
1- I’m a veteran,
how can I tell if my information was compromised?
At this point
there is no evidence that any missing data has been used illegally. However, the
Department of
Veterans Affairs is asking all veterans to be extra vigilant and to carefully
monitor bank
statements, credit card statements and any statements relating to recent
financial
transactions. If
you notice unusual or suspicious activity, you should report it immediately to
the
financial
institution involved and contact the Federal Trade Commission for further
guidance.
2- What is the
earliest date at which suspicious activity might have occurred due to this data
breach?
The information
was stolen from an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs during the
month of May,
2006. If the data has been misused or otherwise used to commit fraud or
identity
theft crimes, it
is likely that veterans may notice suspicious activity during the month of May.
3- I haven’t
noticed any suspicious activity in my financial statements, but what can I do
to
protect myself
and prevent being victimized by credit card fraud or identity theft?
The Department of
Veterans Affairs strongly recommends that veterans closely monitor their
financial
statements and visit the Department of Veterans Affairs special website on
this,
www.firstgov.gov or call 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636).
4- Should I reach
out to my financial institutions or will the Department of Veterans Affairs
do this for me?
The Department of
Veterans Affairs does not believe that it is necessary to contact financial
institutions or
cancel credit cards and bank accounts, unless you detect suspicious activity.
5- Where
should I report suspicious or unusual activity?
The Federal Trade
Commission recommends the following four steps if you detect suspicious
activity:
Step 1 – Contact the fraud department of one of the three major
credit bureaus:
Equifax:
1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com;
TransUnion:
1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim
Assistance Division,
-More-
Frequently Asked Questions // 2
Step 2 – Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened
fraudulently
Step 3 – File a police report with your local police or the police in
the community where the
identity theft
took place.
Step 4 – File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by using the
FTC’s Identity Theft
Hotline by
telephone: 1-877-438-4338, online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or by mail at
Identity Theft
Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission,
6- I know the
Department of Veterans Affairs maintains my health records electronically;
was this
information also compromised?
No electronic
medical records were compromised. The data lost is primarily limited to an
individual’s
name, date of birth, social security number, in some cases their spouse’s
information, as
well as some disability ratings. However, this information could still be of
potential use to
identity thieves and we recommend that all veterans be extra vigilant in
monitoring for
signs of potential identity theft or misuse of this information.
7- What is the
Department of Veterans Affairs doing to insure that this does not happen
again?
The Department of
Veterans Affairs is working with the President’s Identity Theft Task Force,
the Department of
Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate this data breach and
to develop
safeguards against similar incidents. The Department of Veterans Affairs has
directed all VA employees complete the “VA Cyber Security Awareness Training
Course” and complete the separate “General Employee Privacy Awareness Course”
by June 30, 2006. In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs will
immediately be conducting an inventory and review of all current positions
requiring access to sensitive VA data and require all employees requiring
access to sensitive VA data to undergo an updated National Agency Check and
Inquiries (NACI) and/or a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) depending on
the level of access required by the responsibilities associated with their
position. Appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs,
have launched full-scale investigations into this matter.
8- Where can I
get further, up-to-date information?
The Department of
Veterans Affairs has set up a special website and a toll-free telephone
number for
veterans which features up-to-date news and information. Please visit
www.firstgov.gov or call 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636).