ID theft: a threat to Airmen

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Though the number of cases at Travis in the last year is reportedly small, identity theft is a threat every Airman should be aware, Travis officials say.

An identity can be stolen in a number of ways, but its purpose is for the perpetrator's personal gain, said Capt. Ian McCrea, chief of legal assistance.

"Identity theft is somebody acting like you and buying or getting things in the name of that other person," Captain McCrea said. "It really comes into a problem when the identity theft leads to your credit history being damaged in some way because credit history is very hard to repair."

Jason Gunnarson, Airman and Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant, echoed Captain McCrea's sentiments.

"Identity theft is sometimes hard to prove to creditors," Mr. Gunnarson said. "That is one of the reasons why it's difficult to have your credit repaired once you have become a victim."

The 60th Security Forces Squadron has handled "about five or six cases" in the last year, according to Al Garlick, 60th SFS investigator. Captain McCrea said he has not seen a military member as a suspected perpetrator in the last four months.

Still, the variety of ways in which an ID can be stolen are many.

Thieves gather personal information through theft of wallets, purses, mail, dumpster diving and Internet or phone scams, according to information from Security Forces.

Airmen should be conscious of their government purchase and government travel cards, too, Mr. Garlick said.

"There is a myriad of different things they could do once they assume your ID," he said.
Increasing one's frustration is the fact a perpetrator usually is difficult to catch, Captain McCrea said.

"You virtually have to catch them doing it, whether it's a person writing a check and they don't have the right ID or it's a person applying for credit and they're able to do an instant credit check and something pops up at that time," Captain McCrea said.

However, there are ways to insulate oneself from potential threats.

Captain McCrea suggested shredding documents that contain personal information, even credit card applications received in the mail. Care should be given to what one throws away, he said.

"Criminally speaking, garbage is public," he said. "If you put it out on the curb, anybody can go through it because you have no right to privacy in the garbage. That's why the police are able to search people's garbage for evidence."

To prevent identity theft, Captain McCrea recommends checking one's credit history on a regular basis as well as the balance in your bank accounts. If anything looks suspicious, report it to the police as well as the companies showing up in the credit history or balance statements.

"By law, you can check your credit for free once a year with the three major credit agencies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian," said Mr. Gunnarson. "If you split those three into equal months; that means you can check your credit every four months with one of the agencies."

Also, call the companies that may be showing up on your credit history or your bank statements if money has suddenly disappeared. Stolen checks, ATM cards, fraudulent changes of address and stolen or compromised passports also are ways in which your identity can be stolen.

"Being proactive is the key," said Dave Lamm, 60th SFS detective.

Lastly, Captain McCrea suggested being suspicious of anyone who calls up and asks for your social security number.

"As a military culture, it seems to be all too easy to give your social security number to anyone who asks for it," Mr. Gunnarson said. "We need to educate ourselves to always challenge anyone before giving them our complete social security number."

Mr. Gunnarson said that most agencies on base now only ask for the last four numbers of the social security number in an effort to aid in preventing identity theft.

Upon discovering you're a victim of identity theft, contact law enforcement, creditors and credit bureaus. Fairfield Police, Security Forces and the Office of Special Investigations all handle cases regarding identity theft.

The AFRC is currently accepting one-on-one counseling sessions for people interested in identity theft protection, as well as those who find themselves already victims of this crime.

For more information, or to learn how to protect yourself from potential identity theft, contact the AFRC at 424-2486.

Tech. Sgt. Donald Osborn, 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this article.