Tinker officials warn military members against identity theft

Published June 11, 2007
By Brandice J. Armstrong
Tinker Air Force Base Public Affairs

Tinker Air Force Base --     Identity theft is a threat and no one is immune, not even military members.
   Despite the scams and thieves, military members can take steps to protect themselves from a stolen identity scenario.
   "The most effective way to defend yourself against pretexting - the practice of getting your personal information under false pretenses - is to think of your Social Security number, account numbers and other personal information like identity thieves do: as a personal asset, much like your home, car or valuables," said Capt. Charles Kels, chief of base Contract Law for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Office of the Staff Judge Advocate. "Pretexters may pose as representatives of survey firms, banks, Internet service providers, or even government agencies."
   Recently, a new military identity theft scam arose. It targets the families of deployed military members to gain a military member's social security number and other personal information.
   The scam involves someone with a young American accent calling the home of a deployed member. The caller identifies himself as part of the Red Cross who is trying to aid the "injured" deployed member. Without identifying the injured military member, the caller tells the family he needs the social security number and other personal information of the injured deployed military member before care can be provided.
   Capt. Kels said despite the convincing tone, several measures can be taken to ensure the caller is legit.
   "If someone calls asking for personal information on behalf of your bank, credit company or other official institution, ask for a number to call them back, so you can first check if it's truly a legitimate number," the captain said. "Legitimate organizations shouldn't be asking for this information unless you've initiated the call."
   Capt. Kels said the Federal Trade Commission also suggests several actions to take if a stolen identity is suspected.
   They include: place a fraud alert on your credit reports, close any accounts where it is believed the identity was compromised and speak with the institution's security department. Be sure to follow up the request in writing and file a complaint with the FTC. Military members may also file a complaint with the Military Sentinel at www.consumer.gov/military, a joint task force between the FTC and the Department of Defense. Finally, file a police report.
   "Legal assistance attorneys are available to counsel military members, retirees and their dependents on steps to prevent identity theft as well as steps to counteract identity theft," Capt. Kels said.
   Regularly checking your credit report is another way to stay vigilant.
   Capt. Kels said www.annualcreditreport.com is the only authorized online source to order a free credit report under federal law.
   The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the three nationwide consumer reporting companies - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion - to provide one free credit report each year, the captain said.
   "In general, please be aware of anyone asking for your Social Security number and claiming they need it to complete a transaction," Capt. Kels said.
For more information, call 72nd ABW/JA at 739-5811.