Statistics show that veterans are more than twice as likely to be victims of identity theft than non-veteran Americans. Why?
A recent article on Military.com offered some potential explanations, which we found very interesting. We’ll get into them below, plus we’ll offer some potential solutions for this problem.
Why do so many veterans have their identities stolen?
Blake Hall, CEO of Military.com and author of the article, explains that the Office of Personnel Management experienced a major breach in 2014. The hackers gained access to the personal information — including Social Security numbers and security clearance information — for more than 21.5 million veterans.
Some of this information is known to now exist for sale on the dark web, which is where identity thieves often turn to for the information they use to commit their crimes. After all, one needs little more than the last four digits of a Social Security number to reset an account password.
Experts suspect that this breach led to the theft of potentially millions of veterans’ identities in 2021 alone. Considering that nearly 50,000 fell victim to a theft in 2021 alone — nearly eight years after the breach — this might very well be the case.
What is being done to stop veteran identity theft?
Unfortunately, nothing can be done to get veterans’ information off the dark web. However, other steps are being taken to help veterans protect their personal information.
For example, the Department of Defense and the VA are both removing Social Security numbers from ID cards and documents that previously displayed them, putting service members at risk. The VA is also implementing new processes that allow veterans to identify themselves without sharing sensitive information.
Furthermore, the VA now has a page titled Identity Theft Prevention on its website, which offers a wide array of resources to help veterans understand the risk of identity theft and how to protect themselves from it.
What else can be done?
The VA should continue to educate veterans about the risks of identity theft both online and in person. Another good option is incorporating identity theft prevention into vocational rehabilitation programs. After all, financial health is the goal of these programs, and having one’s identity stolen poses a risk to one’s mental health.
Valor Healthcare is committed to veteran health
Valor Healthcare is a veteran-founded healthcare organization. We aim to provide whole healthcare services to veterans and other patriots. We are the largest contracted provider of outpatient healthcare services for veterans and take pride in delivering world-class services. We were one of the first community-based outpatient clinics to be accredited for ambulatory care by the Joint Commission and continue to focus on quality across all our lines of business.
Valor Healthcare is a team made up of veterans and leading clinicians. We are passionate about making resources available to those who have served our country. Valor was first established in 2004, when an Army veteran and a Navy veteran joined together to create something they both believed in — good-quality outpatient care for veterans.
Interested in the types of services a veteran-focused health consultant company can provide? We specialize in each of the following:
- Outpatient clinic operations.
- Occupational health.
- Behavioral health.
- Population health.
- Value-added services.
Would you benefit from vocational rehabilitation or any of the services listed above? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for guidance. Valor Healthcare partners with public and private medical clinics to bring high-quality healthcare to American veterans. Partner with us to give your patients access to data-driven, 21st-century care.