Thread: N.C. Veterans Could Get Relief From Identity Theft

http://www.wral.com/news/9406313/detail.html

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina military veterans _ worried about a massive security breach that may expose them to identity theft _ would be able to block access to their credit records under a bill approved Wednesday by a House panel.

That measure, the first of its kind in the nation, according to proponents, follows the recent disclosure that the names, Social Security numbers and birthdates for up to 26.5 million veterans were stolen last month from the home of a Veterans Administration data analyst.

"We have people that are vulnerable today," Charlie Smith, director of North Carolina's Department of Veterans Affairs, said Wednesday. "Something needs to be done now."

The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department is trying to contact about 17 million personnel who may have compromised Social Security numbers and on Wednesday offered free credit monitoring to each them. But state Rep. Bruce Goforth, the bill's sponsor, urged the VA to take full responsibility by paying to block access to their accounts.

"They are the ones that should really pick up the tab on this _ not our veterans," said Goforth, D-Buncombe.

Under existing North Carolina law, any victim of identity theft can get a free credit freeze. Some states, including North Carolina, allow consumers to pay for a credit freeze before encountering fraud, but haven't committed to offering any similar services for free.

A credit pause prohibits any access to a person's account histories, preventing even the account holder from getting a new charge card, loan or other credit-based contracts. North Carolina veterans would have until the end of the year to initiate the service and could keep it at no charge for up to a year.

Credit agencies and retailers, which frequently offer consumers new credit cards, have largely opposed the use of preventative freezes. But those groups came together on this proposal to offer what N.C. Retail Merchants Association lobbyist Andy Ellen called a "reasonable compromise."

"Our credit agencies are doing the people of North Carolina a favor for a federal screw-up," said Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake, a member of the Military, Veterans and Indian Affairs Committee that passed the proposal.

North Carolina is home to more than 770,000 veterans and 90,000 active duty members of the military. Surviving spouses of military personnel can also get a credit freeze under the proposal, and family members can act on behalf of active-duty personnel overseas.

"I'm extremely concerned," Goforth said. "This is an opportunity for us to take the step to protect our veterans."

They are the ones that should really pick up the tab on this _ not our veterans," said Goforth, D-Buncombe.

Absolutly. and I would even have to add an emergency fund to help them financially during the time their accounts are frozen since their hands are tied.

All right sounds good. Geeez, I have got to the point of checking my bank statement twice a day now on line to make sure it is still secure.

Anything to help us veterans is appreciated as we put our lives on the line for this country and we didnt ask for this situation. God only knows how many illegal aliens have my social security number because of this uncaring, incompetent and corrupt administration who I think
was involved in this. This is the thanks I get for 24 years of military service to include combat. If it even matters to you Mr. Bush I hope you can sleep at night knowing the great disservice your administration has done to veterans.

Today in History:

On June 22, 1945, the World War II battle for Okinawa officially ended; 12,520 Americans and 110,000 Japanese were killed in the nearly three-month campaign.

Not one of those 12,520 Americans heros died for open borders


In 1944, President Roosevelt signed the Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the GI Bill of Rights.

Look what the Bush Administrations is doing to it.

Oh,
and today both Meryl Streep and Lindsay Wagner turned 57.

Make the organizations that have our private data liable for free credit monitoring and all the costs associated with fixing our credit if our information we entrust to them is stolen from them. If that happened, I'll bet suddenly our information would get a whole lot more secure.