Identity theft is a problem for anyone; it’s worse for soldiers who aren’t at home

The average amount of time it takes to determine that you have been a victim of identity theft is said to be one year. If you are out of the country, it could take even longer. That’s the problem that our soldiers serving outside the United States face. Even while they are serving elsewhere, their bills and credit records are here and are vulnerable to the same identity theft tactics that threaten the rest of us. Thanks to an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, active duty military personnel who are serving away from their main duty stations to place a note on their credit records that helps protect them.

Identity theft is a well-publicized crime in which the thief, using stolen personal information such as a Social Security number, uses that information to obtain goods, credit or loans in the victim’s name. The problem has gotten worse over the years, and recent security problems with several credit card processors have the public justifiably concerned. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act was designed to help consumers keep track of their credit records. The best known provision of the FCRA is the portion that allows consumers to obtain a free credit report through a special Website created by the three main credit bureaus. Once a year, Americans may obtain a copy of their credit report from each of the credit bureaus just by visiting the Website and filling out a form. A lesser known provision of the bill is the one that protects our military personnel from being taken in financial scams or identity theft schemes. The law permits anyone serving away from their main duty station to place an “active duty alert” on his or her credit record. Once this alert is in place, any creditor who wishes to grant credit to this person must first verify his or her identity. This can be difficult if the person is out of the country, and if no contact is possible, no credit can be granted. This is particularly helpful if the credit request has come from someone using stolen identification; without confirming the ID, the request is denied.

Anyone who wishes to place an active duty alert on his or her credit record needs to contact one of the three credit bureaus: Experian, Trans Union or Equifax. It is only necessary to contact one agency; they will contact the other two for you. In addition, you may designate a personal representative who may make decisions on your behalf while you are away. That way you can still obtain loans or credit in your absence, should you need to do so.

Military personnel who are serving our country have enough to worry about without having the additional concerns of having their identities stolen. Thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, our men and women in uniform have one less thing with which to concern themselves.

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