Posted on 12/28/2002 1:13:43 AM PST by anymouse
Thieves who broke into a government contractor's office snatched computer hard drives containing Social Security numbers, addresses and other records of about 500,000 members of the military and their families.
The company, Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance, provides managed health care to the military in 16 states, including Minnesota. It serves about 1.1 million active-duty personnel, their dependents and retirees.
TriWest spokesman Jim Kassebaum said Thursday that no one whose records were stolen has reported a fraud related to the Dec. 14 theft.
``There's a potential for identity theft,'' Kassebaum said. ``If you know anything about identity theft, it's a little insidious, because until it happens, you can't do anything about it.''
The company said some credit-card numbers may also have been stolen.
The Defense Department's medical program said TriWest told it about the theft on Dec. 20.
TriWest has established a hot line and plans to begin mailings to all 500,000 enrollees on Friday.
Kassebaum said the investigation is being handled by Defense Department investigators and the FBI. Defense Department investigators in Phoenix declined comment.
TriWest President and chief executive David J. McIntyre Jr. said it was possible that the computer equipment was taken specifically for the information it contained.
He said the building has ``reasonable security. Not barbed wire and all of that, but reasonable security for a company.''
He defended the time delay in notifying federal authorities and enrollees, saying the theft wasn't discovered until Dec. 16. He said he did not learn until Dec. 19 that hard drives with personal information were missing.
I assume the data showed who was assigned to what military unit...? There would have to be follow up spying on the people identified to map out who has been deployed, and such spying would have to be on a large scale and thus be difficult to keep clandestine. I'd sooner anticipate that whoever stole the data will shortly put it up on the Internet from a server in a foreign country, just to taunt the USA.
That would be my guess. Laptops are an easy item to sell, but a loose hard drive? A typical dumb thief wouldn't know about hot swappable drives.
I think the only question is what the data was wanted for - military knowledge or financial fraud?
Cloud, cloud, cloud...(Humm, reminds me of a lot of the guys I had in basic. Oh well, it's a Clintonesque world of diversity out there!)
"Sure Captain, the road to the left leads to the warhead storage areas."
Sorry. No room on the agenda for anything like that. It's too crowded with bills aimed at preventing anyone from going bankrupt. The lobbiests must be fed, eh?
Thank you for contacting us regarding the recent theft of TRICARE information.
TriWest has produced the following Q&A that explains details of this break-in, the theft of computer equipment and what type of information was potentially compromised. We have also included resources that could be helpful with identity fraud. If you have questions that the Q&A doesn't answer, please call our toll -free line at 1-888-339-9378.
Rest assured that TriWest is working with the Department of Defense, the FBI and other local and federal agencies to address the theft of this computer equipment. Your patience and understanding as we fully investigate this matter is greatly appreciated.
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
Q&A: Military Healthcare Information Stolen From TriWest Office
What happened?
TriWest experienced a break-in at one of its corporate offices in Phoenix on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 14, which resulted in the theft of computer equipment. The computer equipment housed data files that contained sensitive and personal TRICARE Prime beneficiary information including a beneficiary's claims history and Social Security Number (SSN). Although we have no information about the motive for the crime or whether the information will ever be accessed or misused, we wanted to advise beneficiaries of this situation so they could begin taking precautions to watch out for any unauthorized use of SSNs or credit-card accounts.
What information was stolen?
The stolen computer equipment housed data files that contained sensitive and personal Prime beneficiary information including SSNs. The Prime beneficiary information is the same as that contained on the TRICARE enrollment form. For some Active Duty Service Members, claims processing information may have been disclosed. This claims processing information includes the Active Duty Service Member's name, SSN, a list of the medical procedures and diagnosis codes for the services rendered, the dates of service, where the service was rendered, and the claim amount. No information regarding beneficiaries 65 and older was contained on the stolen computer equipment, unless those individuals were enrolled in Prime after January 1, 1999.
What is TriWest doing to assist beneficiaries?
TriWest will be communicating directly with TRICARE beneficiaries and health care providers whose information was contained on the stolen hard drives. These communications will focus on the fact that the information was stolen and that affected individuals can take some precautionary measures to help protect against the unauthorized use of their personal information by following recommendations provided by the Federal Trade Commission.
How are beneficiaries being notified?
TriWest will contact the beneficiaries via letter that will inform them about the incident, the potential for identity theft, and steps they should take to help protect against the unauthorized use of their information. Beneficiaries can access that information on the TriWest web site, , and also obtain news announcements, timely updates and links to useful government sites. For those beneficiaries who use the email service and still have questions, or for those individuals who do not have email or Internet access, a toll-free number has been established at 1-888-339-9378.
What if beneficiaries have questions?
Beneficiaries should contact TriWest directly via either of two dedicated channels. TriWest has established a toll-free number, 888-339-9378, and a website address, for beneficiaries who seek more information about this situation.
What steps is TriWest taking to ensure this doesn't happen again?
TriWest has taken necessary and prudent steps to enhance the physical and electronic security of existing computer systems and data files. Updated policies and procedures already have been implemented to improve security and ensure the integrity of the data we manage on the government's behalf. Specific changes implemented at both of TriWest's Phoenix corporate offices include the retention of a uniformed security guard at the Corp II facility for all after-hours time periods; the expansion of existing security systems including additional intrusion-detection devices at Corp II; and additional uniformed security guards at Corp I. A risk assessment of all TriWest servers in the field at TRICARE Service Centers is underway, and a comprehensive review of the company's data-security policies and procedures, including those for how employees manage materials in their work space, is being conducted.
Why the delay between the time of the incident and notification of affected parties?
A large number of data files had to be restored from backup tapes to determine the extent of the loss so that we could notify all affected individuals in an accurate manner. We continue to move forward as expeditiously as possible in hopes of mitigating any potential negative impact on the beneficiary population, which is our #1 priority, as well as other affected stakeholders such as the Department of Defense, network providers, subcontractors, etc.
What can you do to safeguard against identity theft or fraud?
If you suspect that your personal information has been misused to commit identity theft, take the following steps and keep a record of all your actions.
* FIRST, contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Request that a "fraud alert" be placed in your file. Also ask them to place a statement that asks creditors to call you before opening any new accounts or changing any existing accounts. The credit bureau fraud departments are listed below. Their normal operating hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92834
Phone - 800-680-7289
Fax - 714-447-6034
Equifax Credit Information Services
Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348
Phone - 800-525-6285
Experian
Experian's National Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1017 Allen, TX 75013
Phone - 888-397-3742
* SECOND, close or suspend any accounts you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
* THIRD, file a police report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
The Social Security Administration - www.ssa.gov - is an excellent source for information about Social Security Number theft or misuse. You can report allegations that an SSN has been stolen or misused to the SSA Fraud Hotline at 1-800- 269-0271. You should also periodically contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to verify the accuracy of the earnings reported on your SSN, and may request a copy of your Social Security Statement. The following SSA resources are available on the Internet:
* SSA Fraud Hotline for Reporting Fraud -
* Social Security: Your Number and Card (SSA Pub. No. 05-10002) -
* When Someone Misuses Your Number (SSA Pub. No. 05-10064)(/a>
If you know that you are a victim of identity theft, file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline. Their toll-free telephone is 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) or by direct dial to: 202-326-2502. You may also write to them at:
Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
You can also access their web site at: www.consumer.gov/idtheft
. Ask for a copy of ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name, a free comprehensive consumer guide to help you guard against and recover from identity theft. One of the best ways to catch identity theft is to regularly check your credit record. Order your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus each year and make sure all the information is correct.
(INFORMATION CURRENT AS OF 6:30 PM MST, 12/26)
Until just this month my medical insurance card No. was my husbands S.S. No. I received a new one in the mail with a letter saying they were doing away with the S.S. No. as the Medical No. and to destroy the old cards.
It has gotten where everything requires your S.S. No. I tried to get quotes for Homeowners Ins. and they would ask for my S.S. No. When I would refuse they would say they couldn't give me a quote because the computer program required it.
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