VETERANS IDENTITY THEFT INFORMATION Congresswoman Susan Davis called for better handling of valuable personal information stored by federal agencies after the theft of the names and Social Security numbers of millions of veterans this week. Davis called on Congress to take precautionary steps after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the personal information of about 26 million veterans had been compromised. The names, Social Security Numbers, and dates of birth of the veterans are in danger. The data was stolen after a VA employee took the data to his home on electronic form. The data was then stolen in a burglary. The VA has placed the employee on administrative leave pending an investigation. “This is really an unfortunate situation,” Davis said. “This information could be used to get credit cards, take out loans, and do other damage. It is inexcusable that a government agency would not take better care of the invaluable personal information of our brave veterans.” Veterans should take steps to protect themselves and valuable financial information, according to Congresswoman Susan Davis. Further information regarding the breach of data is available at the VA’s website, www.va.gov. The FBI and VA Inspector General are investigating the matter. The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is looking into the incident as well. Veterans should contact the three national credit bureaus if they think they have fallen victim to identity theft or if the information has been misused in any way. Names and Social Security Numbers can be used to take out loans and other forms of consumer credit. Equifax (800) 525-6285 Experian (888) 397-3742 TransUnion (800) 680-7289 Additionally, working with other government agencies, the VA has set up a manned call center that veterans may call to get information about this situation and learn more about consumer identity protections. That toll-free number is 1-800-FED INFO (333-4636). The call center will be open beginning today, and will operate from 8 am to 9 pm (EDT), Monday-Saturday as long as it is needed. The call center will be able to handle up to 20,000 calls per hour (260,000 calls per day).