FAST FACTS:
keli.rabon@wreg.com
(Memphis - 9/29/2009) The Flowers are a military family. They married just hours before his first deployment, and William Flowers even re-enlisted on Veteran's Day 2008 for six more years.
"He's been in the military close to 20 years," Pamela Flowers said.
William has served two tours in Iraq and has another planned for next year. But it's not the threat overseas -- it's a threat right here at home -- that has this family worried.
"We got an email through his military email that said some laptop had been stolen," Flowers said.
This wasn't just any laptop. It belonged to an Army National Guard contractor.
According to a letter from top military officials obtained by the On Your Side Investigators, that laptop contained more than 130,000 soldiers names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and home addresses.
"This is a serious thing, it's a federal offense, and with these social security numbers and everything, everyone is at risk," Flowers said.
That list includes thousands of soldiers right here in the Mid-South -- 1,761 from Mississippi, 3,500 from Arkansas, and 4,651 from the Tennessee National Guard.
Some of those soldiers could be on the front lines, like SSgt John Pidgette III.
"No ma'am, we haven't heard anything. I was talking to one of my soldiers over here, Pfc Anthony, and he said he hadn't heard anything either," Pidgette told us over the phone from Iraq.
Pidgette has been in Iraq since June, and would have no way of knowing if someone was tampering with his accounts here at home.
"I believe everyone has concerns about their identities being stolen, especially since they're over here serving in Iraq. There's really not much they can do for them over here in another country," Pidgette said.
Lt. Dennis McNeil investigates identity theft cases everyday for the Memphis Police Department.
McNeil is not investigating this case -- the military won't release the location of where the laptop was stolen. But he says there are basic tips everyone should know to protect themselves.
"Shred all the information you don't need, don't share your personal information with people you don't know. And I would be leary of giving my social security number out to over the phone to anyone you don't know," McNeil said.
Soldiers have no choice but to give the Army National Guard their personal information.
So as William Flowers prepares to deploy, his family hopes they won't have to fight for his identity when he comes home.
"They're doing the best they can, fighting for our country, and now they're going to have to fight for their pocket, their name, for who they are. That's even a tougher fight," Pamela Flowers said.
For those soldiers serving overseas, they can contact credit bureaus to obtain an "active duty alert" to reduce the chances of identity theft. That should help reduce the chance of anyone tampering with their personal finances while they are overseas.
An Army National Guard spokesman says they don't believe any soldier's identity has been stolen at this point, but they have created a with more information for National Guard members.
- A laptop containing 131,000 Army National Guard members personal information is stolen.
- Experts say it can take years before victims realize their identities have been affected.
- Families question why a military contractor had access to this information on a personal laptop at all.
keli.rabon@wreg.com
(Memphis - 9/29/2009) The Flowers are a military family. They married just hours before his first deployment, and William Flowers even re-enlisted on Veteran's Day 2008 for six more years.
"He's been in the military close to 20 years," Pamela Flowers said.
William has served two tours in Iraq and has another planned for next year. But it's not the threat overseas -- it's a threat right here at home -- that has this family worried.
"We got an email through his military email that said some laptop had been stolen," Flowers said.
This wasn't just any laptop. It belonged to an Army National Guard contractor.
According to a letter from top military officials obtained by the On Your Side Investigators, that laptop contained more than 130,000 soldiers names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and home addresses.
"This is a serious thing, it's a federal offense, and with these social security numbers and everything, everyone is at risk," Flowers said.
That list includes thousands of soldiers right here in the Mid-South -- 1,761 from Mississippi, 3,500 from Arkansas, and 4,651 from the Tennessee National Guard.
Some of those soldiers could be on the front lines, like SSgt John Pidgette III.
"No ma'am, we haven't heard anything. I was talking to one of my soldiers over here, Pfc Anthony, and he said he hadn't heard anything either," Pidgette told us over the phone from Iraq.
Pidgette has been in Iraq since June, and would have no way of knowing if someone was tampering with his accounts here at home.
"I believe everyone has concerns about their identities being stolen, especially since they're over here serving in Iraq. There's really not much they can do for them over here in another country," Pidgette said.
Lt. Dennis McNeil investigates identity theft cases everyday for the Memphis Police Department.
McNeil is not investigating this case -- the military won't release the location of where the laptop was stolen. But he says there are basic tips everyone should know to protect themselves.
"Shred all the information you don't need, don't share your personal information with people you don't know. And I would be leary of giving my social security number out to over the phone to anyone you don't know," McNeil said.
Soldiers have no choice but to give the Army National Guard their personal information.
So as William Flowers prepares to deploy, his family hopes they won't have to fight for his identity when he comes home.
"They're doing the best they can, fighting for our country, and now they're going to have to fight for their pocket, their name, for who they are. That's even a tougher fight," Pamela Flowers said.
For those soldiers serving overseas, they can contact credit bureaus to obtain an "active duty alert" to reduce the chances of identity theft. That should help reduce the chance of anyone tampering with their personal finances while they are overseas.
An Army National Guard spokesman says they don't believe any soldier's identity has been stolen at this point, but they have created a with more information for National Guard members.
