From the Army times...........
Army Times staff writer
The laptop computer and peripheral equipment containing the personal
information on millions of service members, veterans and family members was
most likely erased of all data and resold, probably to a college student,
the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday.
But, as VA Secretary R. James Nicholson was telling a House committee that
the stolen computer and data storage devices were taken in a string of
robberies in a Maryland neighborhood, and probably cleaned and sold to a
student, an Ohio congressman asked the VA to start investing the possible
identification theft of a 33-year-old Persian Gulf War veteran.
Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Ohio, said a Steven Michel, a disabled veteran,
discovered June 1 that his monthly disability check is being mailed to a
different address. "He was stunned to learn that it, in fact, had been put
in a new account - his new account," LaTourette said.
After visiting the Cleveland regional office of the VA, Michel was assured
his problem would be fixed within seven days, LaTourette said.
"Mr. Michel is rightly concerned about this and he wonders how his direct
deposit form could be changed and why it happened on the heels of the
reports of the stolen laptop," LaTourette said. "He does not believe this is
simply a computer glitch because his monthly disability check has been
deposited in the same account for years."
"He believes whoever did this must have had his name, address and Social
Security number," the congressman said. "He is even more disturbed that his
bank informed him that it was possible someone phoned in a new, direct
deposit information to a bogus bank account, his new account in the state of
Michigan."
Nicholson promised to look into Michel's situation. "That is the first
incidence I have heard of affecting a veteran since this has come to light,"
he said, saying it is possible Michel is a victim of identity theft not
related to the May 3 data theft.
"Every year in this country 1 percent to 3 percent of the people suffer from
identity theft," Nicholson said. "Last year, 9 million Americans did,
causing them an average of 28 hours of time to straighten it out and an
average cost of $5,600, almost all of which was born by the affected
creditors, not the consumers."
The computer and storage devices taken from the home of a VA employee, who
was not authorized to have the sensitive records at home, happened in
Montgomery County, Md., and was one of a string of burglaries in the area on
the same night, Nicholson said.
Law enforcement officials "believe that these were young burglars whose goal
was to get computers, computer peripheral equipment," he said. That is what
was taken from several houses.
"They further think that their M.O. is to take these things, clean them up,
actually erase them, and then fence them into a market on college campuses
and high schools where they can pick this stuff up pretty cheap, but we have
no assurance of that," Nicholson said.
