Governor Riley Urges Alabama Veterans to be Vigilant of Possible Identity Theft

Governor Riley Urges Alabama Veterans to be Vigilant of Possible Identity Theft

Governor Bob Riley on Tuesday urged Alabama veterans to be especially vigilant about the dangers of identity theft. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported that personal data, including names and social security numbers, of more than 26 million veterans were stolen from the home of a department employee who had taken the information without authorization.

"In light of this security breach, I'm urging all our veterans to pay special attention to their credit card statements, their bank statements and other financial information," said Governor Riley.

Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner W. Clyde Marsh echoed the Governor's comments.

"At this time, there is no evidence that the stolen information has been used illegally. However, we want to get the message out to our veterans and to make sure they are completely aware of this situation."

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has set up a toll-free number veterans can call for information. That number is 800-333-4636.

Almost 2,700 Alabamians were victims of identity theft in 2005, but that number is probably higher because officials believe few of the crimes are actually ever reported.

http://www.governorpress.alabama.gov/pr/pr-2006-05-23-01-identity_theft.asp