Identity Theft Military Personnel & Families: What to know, What to do Tips
Is someone using your personal or financial information to make purchases, get benefits, file taxes, or commit fraud? That’s identity theft.
Visit IdentityTheft.gov to report identity theft and get a personal recovery plan.
Tools for Active Duty Military
Active duty military can get an active duty alert and free electronic credit monitoring. National Guard members also have a right to free electronic credit monitoring.
Active Duty Alert
An active duty alert requires creditors to take steps to verify your identify before granting credit in your name. It lasts a year but can be renewed for the length of your deployment. Contact the fraud department of one credit bureau; they must contact the other two. An active duty alert gives you a benefit that you don’t get with a standard year-long alert: the credit bureaus take your name off their marketing lists for prescreened credit offers for two years – unless you ask them to add you back on. Use the credit bureau contacts on the right.
Free Electronic Credit Monitoring
Electronic credit monitoring means you’ll be notified of any material additions or changes to your credit file. To sign up, contact each of the three credit bureaus. Use the credit bureau contacts on the right.
Go to IdentityTheft.gov for next steps.
Your next step might be closing accounts opened in your name, or reporting fraudulent charges to your credit card company.
IdentityTheft.gov can help – no matter what your specific identity theft situation is.
