I'm a veteran, and I'm concerned about all the data on that laptop computer that was stolen from the VA recently. How can I be sure my personal information wasn't used to steal my identity?
Before about keeping an eye on your identity is addressed, know that the FBI's forensic technicians, who examined the laptop after it was recovered, told the VA that the personal information on the laptop was not accessed. If should give you a bit of comfort. There are too many other ways that one's identity can be compromised.
One way to keep a watch on your personal information to ensure it's not being used to apply for credit is to purchase a credit monitoring service from one of the three major national credit bureaus. You can go to www.experian.com, www.transunion.com, or www.equifax.com to learn about their credit monitoring services. Each of these services will alert you when your credit file is accessed, and permit you to review your credit report online.
You can also get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus every twelve months. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com to get information on ordering reports by telephone, or to order them online. You can space your requests out so you get a report from one of the three bureaus every four months. You'll want to watch for credit that you don't recognize, since that will be a sure sign that someone has used your personal information to obtain credit in your name.
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Before about keeping an eye on your identity is addressed, know that the FBI's forensic technicians, who examined the laptop after it was recovered, told the VA that the personal information on the laptop was not accessed. If should give you a bit of comfort. There are too many other ways that one's identity can be compromised.
