Important Info For All Veterans!
- Thread starter Capt. Charlie
- Start date
Got the same letter myself the other day. I'm not too worried, the thefts, as posted earlier, were apparently for monetary value of the hardware, not the info on the computer. That, and plus, I don't have any money anyway and my credit is almost non-existent. Identity theft might only make me look better, just kidding. If they do steal my identity, does that mean they are responsible for my debts?(fingers crossed).
UniversalFrost
New member
nope, sorry, you are responsible for any and all debts incurred in your name that you did not alert the authorities to. I saw a story on the news a few weeks ago about aldy in Florida who had her house repossesed and all her belongings taken away from her by some banks/creditors because she owed them millions in unpaid bills and morgates on 2 other houses. Now she was the victim of identity theft and normally she would have gotten off of the bills etc.., but she never reported this (she never knew until the cops came knocking on her door to serve her eviction papers) and she is now responsible for the debt and her only legal course of action is to sue the other lady that stold her identity (and by the way is now in prison on another case of identity theft of another person). Best bet is to watch your credit reports and buy some type of service like I did (see previous post) that warns you of any non-normal behavior or alerts to your credit or any changes (i.e. new accounts) opened in your name towards your credit. better safe then sorry and broke.
Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
Possibly, but here's the problem. Mister Thief, if he's halfways sharp at all, thought he would get a few bucks for a hot laptop. But after all the hoopla on the news that he's bound to have heard, he now knows that the data is far more valuable than the laptop to the right people.
marlboroman84
New member
I just got my letter this afternoon notifying me to be aware of suspicious activity. Nothing like waiting huh? Heard about it from Capt.Charlie before the VA +1 to Capt. Charlie for looking out for us vets 
Don't feel too bad, marlboroman84.
So many friends of mine have gotten these letters, that I was beginning to feel slightly jealous! And left out! I hadn't gotten one!!!
But today, I feel soooo much better. I got home just a few minutes ago and as I came through the gate in the front yard, I grabbed the mail out of the mailbox. Came inside and sat down, intending to sort through the spam and other usefull bits...
Ooh Rah! I'm not left out! I got my letter direct from the desk of R. James Nicholson, via the IRS (cause the VA hasn't a clue where everyone lives). Boy, do I feel better now!
So many friends of mine have gotten these letters, that I was beginning to feel slightly jealous! And left out! I hadn't gotten one!!!
But today, I feel soooo much better. I got home just a few minutes ago and as I came through the gate in the front yard, I grabbed the mail out of the mailbox. Came inside and sat down, intending to sort through the spam and other usefull bits...
Ooh Rah! I'm not left out! I got my letter direct from the desk of R. James Nicholson, via the IRS (cause the VA hasn't a clue where everyone lives). Boy, do I feel better now!
MeekAndMild
New member
glock19xdsc, well I got my letter today even though I am separated, no longer in the reserves. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, said that "In accordance with current policy, the Internal Revenue Service has agreed to forward this letter because we do not have current addresses for all affected individuals. The IRS has not disclosed your address or any other tax information to us." Antipitas,aren't you glad they didn't disclose any info to the VA?
This imples that they must have sent the IRS a list of affected SSANs.
The letter did warn to report any phone calls, emails or other phishing to the government at 1-800-333-4636.
This imples that they must have sent the IRS a list of affected SSANs.
The letter did warn to report any phone calls, emails or other phishing to the government at 1-800-333-4636.
because you have an eight year military obligation. Active + Reserve = 8 years.
I went in this morning for a checkup and they had some nice pamphlets on the check in desk about how the VA was concerend about the privacy of our data
Now I wonder if all that money that was spent on letters and stuff comes out of the health care budget
Yeah, I read that last little bit, Meek. I was thuroughly amused.
Can you imagine sending the IRS 26 million letters with 26 million SSN's and asking them to preaddress these, please?
Eghad, you really don't expect this to have come out of the IRS's budget now, did you? The only thing that the VA probably didn't pay for was the postage!
Can you imagine sending the IRS 26 million letters with 26 million SSN's and asking them to preaddress these, please?
Eghad, you really don't expect this to have come out of the IRS's budget now, did you? The only thing that the VA probably didn't pay for was the postage!
marlboroman84
New member
That's great antipitas! I'm happy for you lol.
As many Vets are on here i feel sorry for the person that does decide to steal some identities half the senior members will lock and load lol.Latest News
First of all, the VA offered all affected vets, a free year of credit monitoring. Veterans Affairs Department Offers Free, Post-Theft Credit Monitoring, last week, June 21st.
But wait! That fair offer wasn't good enough for some grubby "amblance" chasers! They convinced enough vets to go with them and - BANG!
Judge Halts VA Credit Counseling Promotion. Nifty Spiffy, yes? Now there is a class action suit that's been filed. Gonna cost the fed.gov one heck of a lot more. Twenty-Six point Five Billion dollars, more. And that's just the proposed payout to us vets. We haven't even added in the cost of what the fed.gov will pay in defending this suit, nor have we added in the millions that these "amblance" chasers will get. And just who is gonna pay for all of this? If you said, you, me and every other taxpaying American, you would be correct.
grrrrr!!!!
First of all, the VA offered all affected vets, a free year of credit monitoring. Veterans Affairs Department Offers Free, Post-Theft Credit Monitoring, last week, June 21st.
But wait! That fair offer wasn't good enough for some grubby "amblance" chasers! They convinced enough vets to go with them and - BANG!
Judge Halts VA Credit Counseling Promotion. Nifty Spiffy, yes? Now there is a class action suit that's been filed. Gonna cost the fed.gov one heck of a lot more. Twenty-Six point Five Billion dollars, more. And that's just the proposed payout to us vets. We haven't even added in the cost of what the fed.gov will pay in defending this suit, nor have we added in the millions that these "amblance" chasers will get. And just who is gonna pay for all of this? If you said, you, me and every other taxpaying American, you would be correct.
grrrrr!!!!
riverrat66
New member
I got out in Sept. 1967 and I got a letter, that's just about 39 years.
Leave it to a bunch of money grubbing lawyers to try to get a piece of the pie. :barf:
riverrat66...out
Antipitas:
Interesting point you raised, that being how much money the shyster lawyers will walk, run or fly away with, and perhaps even more interesting might be the following. What did they do to deserve the payout they likely will get.
Also, just think a bit on the following. All this derives from the questionable antics of another of those "government agencies" the VA, and what might well turn out to be the ILLEGAL actions of an employee thereof, a bum who last I heard, was on Administrative Leave, spelled PAID.
Finally, as to whom it will be that ultimately pays for all this, it's the TAXPAYER that ultimately will pay, and pay and pay. The TAXPAYER, by the way, includes both veterans who might suffer financial injury as well as the rest of us.
Interesting point you raised, that being how much money the shyster lawyers will walk, run or fly away with, and perhaps even more interesting might be the following. What did they do to deserve the payout they likely will get.
Also, just think a bit on the following. All this derives from the questionable antics of another of those "government agencies" the VA, and what might well turn out to be the ILLEGAL actions of an employee thereof, a bum who last I heard, was on Administrative Leave, spelled PAID.
Finally, as to whom it will be that ultimately pays for all this, it's the TAXPAYER that ultimately will pay, and pay and pay. The TAXPAYER, by the way, includes both veterans who might suffer financial injury as well as the rest of us.
riverrat66
New member
The employee responsible for the lost computer and it's contents was FIRED, Dennis Duffy, the acting head of the division in which the data analyst worked, was placed on administrative leave.
I agree and stated right from the get-go that this person should be charged with something but we have not heard a peep about him/her since. Who ever this person is they probably went into hiding just to protect himself.
riverrat66...out
riverrat66
New member
Alan,
VA Secretary Jim Nicholson was also misinformed so don't feel like the lone ranger. This whole deal is FUBAR and is far from over.
I'd really like to know what happened to the data analyst who illegally removed the laptop from the VA besides from being fired. Are they being prosecuted or are they perhaps working for another Federal Agency?
riverrat66...out
VA Secretary Jim Nicholson was also misinformed so don't feel like the lone ranger. This whole deal is FUBAR and is far from over.
I'd really like to know what happened to the data analyst who illegally removed the laptop from the VA besides from being fired. Are they being prosecuted or are they perhaps working for another Federal Agency?
riverrat66...out
reverrat66wrote:
I'd really like to know what happened to the data analyst who illegally removed the laptop from the VA besides from being fired. Are they being prosecuted or are they perhaps working for another Federal Agency?
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Last I heard, and this might be incorrect, was that that person had been placed on "administrative leave", spelled paid vacation, due to "civil service protections" or wording to that effect.
By the way, FUBAR does not begin to properly describe this situation, nor by the way, does it properly describe the situation will all manner of privately or publically held data bases and the "personal data held therein". Consider, if you will, ChoicePoint and Bank of America, to mention just two, and there are unfortunately MORE, a bunch more. Ever wonder as to what The Congress does to control this situation? They dither, and every now and then, they hold another DOG AND PONY SHOW, spelled another hearing or set thereof.
I'd really like to know what happened to the data analyst who illegally removed the laptop from the VA besides from being fired. Are they being prosecuted or are they perhaps working for another Federal Agency?
-----------------------
Last I heard, and this might be incorrect, was that that person had been placed on "administrative leave", spelled paid vacation, due to "civil service protections" or wording to that effect.
By the way, FUBAR does not begin to properly describe this situation, nor by the way, does it properly describe the situation will all manner of privately or publically held data bases and the "personal data held therein". Consider, if you will, ChoicePoint and Bank of America, to mention just two, and there are unfortunately MORE, a bunch more. Ever wonder as to what The Congress does to control this situation? They dither, and every now and then, they hold another DOG AND PONY SHOW, spelled another hearing or set thereof.
riverrat66
New member
So if this is true, even though this person removed confidential electronic data that he was not authorized to do and in violation of VA policies, which by the way, is going to cost the government millions of dollars and could possibly ruin the lives of millions of people, this person can't be fired due to civil service protections? This is an insult to every veteran involved. This person is sitting home being paid for for screwing up. What's next diplomatic immunity? What a joke. I honestly thought this person had been fired as I had read it somewhere in the newspaper or on the internet but that does not make it correct.
riverrat66...out