R 171928Z MAR 05
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL ALMAR(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 012/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC RFF//
SUBJ/LOST PRIVACY ACT DATA//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO NOTIFY ALL
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CHARGE CARD (GTCC) HOLDERS OF THE LOSS OF BACK UP
TAPES FROM BANK OF AMERICA CONTAINING PRIVACY ACT INFORMATION.
2.  DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE (DFAS) HEADQUARTERS WAS
NOTIFIED IN EARLY JANUARY THAT A SMALL NUMBER OF BACKUP TAPES WERE
LOST IN SHIPMENT IN LATE DECEMBER 2004.  THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT
RELEASED TO SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES DUE TO THE ONGOING SECRET
SERVICE INVESTIGATION.  AT THIS POINT IN THE INVESTIGATION, THE
TAPES ARE PRESUMED LOST.  THE TAPES IN QUESTION CONTAINED CUSTOMER
AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION FOR THE MAJORITY OF MARINE CORPS GTCC
ACCOUNT HOLDERS.  PORTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION MAY HAVE
BEEN ON THE LOST TAPES:  NAME, ACCOUNT NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH, SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBER, AND ADDRESS.
3.  BANK OF AMERICA HAS MAILED NOTIFICATION LETTERS TO ALL ACCOUNT
HOLDERS AND HAS BEEN MONITORING ALL ACCOUNTS FOR UNUSUAL ACTIVITY.
THEY HAVE NOT DETECTED ANY UNUSUAL ACTIVITY TO DATE, BUT WILL
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THESE ACCOUNTS FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE YEAR.
ADDITIONALLY, BANK OF AMERICA HAS ESTABLISHED A DEDICATED RESPONSE
UNIT TO ASSIST AFFECTED ACCOUNT HOLDERS.  THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THE
RESPONSE UNIT IS 800-493-8444.  
4.  BECAUSE THE LOST DATA COULD POTENTIALLY HARM EACH CARDHOLDER'S
INDIVIDUAL CREDIT RATING, THE FOLLOWING STEPS ARE STRONGLY
ENCOURAGED TO BE TAKEN IN ADDITION TO THE NOTIFICATION MADE BY BANK
OF AMERICA:
A.  COMMANDERS RESPONSIBILITIES:  ENSURE THAT AGENCY PROGRAM
COORDINATORS (APC) HAVE CONTACTED ALL CARDHOLDERS TO MAKE THEM AWARE
OF THE DATA LOSS AND APPRISED OF THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS OUTLINED IN
PARAGRAPH 5.
B. AGENCY PROGRAM COORDINATORS (APC) RESPONSIBILTIES:  THE HIEARCHY
LEVEL 3 APCS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED A LIST OF ALL AFFECTED ACCOUNT
HOLDERS.  APCS WILL NOTIFY ALL ACCOUNT HOLDERS AND STRONLY ENCOURAGE
THEM TO TAKE THE PROTECTIVE MEASURES OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 5.
5.  TO PROTECT AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT, CARDHOLDERS WHOSE INFORMATION
WAS INCLUDED ON THE LOST TAPES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ALL
OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
A.  CONTACT BANK OF AMERICA'S DEDICATED TOLL FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER
(800-493-8444) TO CONFIRM THEIR ACCOUNT WAS INCLUDED IN THE LOST
TAPES AND TO DETERMINE WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION WAS INCLUDED.
B.  PLACE A FRAUD ALERT ON THEIR CREDIT FILES. WHILE THIS ACTION
WILL HELP PREVENT FRAUD, BE AWARE THAT IT CAN DELAY LEGITIMATE
CREDIT PROCESSING SINCE A FRAUD ALERT REQUIRES ANY CREDITOR TO
CONTACT THE CARDHOLDER BEFORE ANY OPENING OF NEW ACCOUNTS OR
CHANGING OF EXISTING ACCOUNTS.  WHILE FRAUD ALERTS WILL STAY ON A
CREDIT FILE FOR 90 DAYS, MILITARY MEMBERS CAN HAVE A FRAUD ALERT PUT
IN PLACE FOR 24 MONTHS.  ADDITIONALLY, WHEN A FRAUD ALERT IS PLACED
ON THE ACCOUNT, THE INDIVIDUAL WILL RECEIVE CREDIT REPORTS FROM ALL
THREE CREDIT REPORTING BUREAUS FREE OF CHARGE.  
C.  REQUEST A FREE COPY OF THEIR CREDIT BUREAU REPORT UTILIZING THE
BANK OF AMERICA TOLL FREE NUMBER (800-493-8444). BANK OF AMERICA IS
WORKING WITH TRANS UNION TO PROVIDE THE FREE REPORT.  BECAUSE THE
THREE NATIONAL CREDIT BUREAUS SOMETIMES HAVE DIFFERENT INFORMATION
ON FILE, IT WOULD BE WISE TO REQUEST A CREDIT REPORT FROM ALL THREE,
UNDERSTANDING THAT, DEPENDING ON STATE OF OCCUPANCY, THE INDIVIDUAL
MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR TWO OF THEM (SEE PAR 5D BELOW).  REPORTS MAY BE
OBTAINED FROM THE OTHER TWO REPORTING CREDIT BUREAUS BY CALLING THE
FOLLOWING NUMBERS: EQUIFAX- 800-525-6285; EXPERIAN 888-397-3742.
D.  REVIEW THEIR CREDIT REPORTS CAREFULLY FOR ANY SUSPICIOUS
ACTIVITY (FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTS, UNREQUESTED LOANS, UNEXPLAINED NEW
CREDIT ACCOUNTS, ACTIVITY ON OLD OR INACTIVE ACCOUNTS, ETC.). CREDIT
REPORT MONITORING SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR AT LEAST 18 MONTHS.  IN
ADDITION TO THE CREDIT REPORT OBTAINED RESULTING FROM THIS INCIDENT,
THE FAIR AND ACCURATE CREDIT TRANSACTIONS (FACT) ACT REQUIRES EACH
OF THE THREE NATIONWIDE CONSUMER CREDIT REPORTING BUREAUS LISTED IN
PARAGRAPH 5C, TO PROVIDE A FREE COPY OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S CREDIT
REPORT ONCE EVERY 12 MONTHS. THE FACT ACT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY
REGION DURING THIS CALENDAR YEAR. OCCUPANTS RESIDING IN THE
FOLLOWING STATES ARE ALREADY ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FREE REPORTS: AK,
AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MT, MO, NE, ND, NV, NM,
OH, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, AND WY.  INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN THE
FOLLOWING STATES WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN FREE REPORTS ON 1 JUNE 2005:
AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, OK, SC, TN, AND TX.  INDIVIDUALS
RESIDING IN ALL OTHER STATES AND ANY US TERRITORIES OR POSSESIONS
WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN FREE REPORTS ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2005.  IF
ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FREE CREDIT REPORTS UNDER THE FACT ACT,
INDIVIDUALS CAN REQUEST REPORTS BY ACCESSING THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
WWW.ANNUALCREDITREPORT.COM/, OR BY CALLING 877-322-8228.  THE
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) HAS PUBLISHED A BROCHURE ON THE
SPECIFICS OF THE FACT ACT. IT IS AVAILABLE AT
WWW.FTC.GOV/BCP/CONLINE/PUBS/CREDIT/FREEREPORTS.HTM.
6.  CARDHOLDERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE A LETTER FROM BANK OF AMERICA
SHOULD CONFIRM WITH THEIR APC THAT THEIR ADDRESS ON FILE WITH BANK
OF AMERICA IS ACCURATE.  IF IT IS NOT, CORRECTIONS TO THEIR ACCOUNT
INFORMATION SHOULD BE MADE IMMEDIATELY AND THEY SHOULD CALL THE
DEDICATED TOLL FREE NUMBER TO DETERMINE IF THEY WERE INCLUDED IN THE
AFFECTED ACCOUNTS.
7.  CARDHOLDERS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR FRAUDULENT CHARGES PLACED ON
THEIR GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD ACCOUNT; HOWEVER,  ACCOUNT STATEMENTS
SHOULD BE REVIEWED CAREFULLY.  IF ANY CARDHOLDER DETECTS FRAUDULENT
ACTIVITY ON THEIR GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD, THEY SHOULD CONTACT BANK
OF AMERICA IMMEDIATELY.  IF A CARDHOLDER DETECTS ANY SUSPICIOUS
ACTIVITY OR HAS REASON TO BELIEVE THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS
BEING MISUSED, THE CARDHOLDER SHOULD CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND THE LOCAL SECRET SERVICE FIELD OFFICE.  THE CARDHOLDER SHOULD
GET A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT, AS MANY CREDITORS WANT THE
INFORMATION THE REPORT CONTAINS TO ABSOLVE CARDHOLDERS OF FRAUDULENT
DEBTS.  A CARDHOLDER WHO DETECTS SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY SHOULD CLOSE
THE ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH OR OPENED FRUDULENTLY AND
FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) AT
WWW.CONSUMER.GOV/IDTHEFT OR AT 877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).  SUCH
COMPLAINTS WILL BE ADDED TO THE FTC'S IDENTITY THEFT DATA
CLEARINGHOUSE, WHERE IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO LAW ENFORCERS FOR
THEIR INVESTIGATIONS.
8.  HQMC WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE DFAS AND BANK OF AMERICA TO PURSUE
ADDITIONAL ACTION TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STEP IS BEING TAKEN TO
PROTECT OUR USMC CARDHOLDERS FROM FRAUD AGAINST THEIR PERSONAL
CREDIT.  
9.  THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ALMAR IS CWO2 T. B. CAREY
(CAREYTB@HQMC.USMC.MIL), MSGT D. K. RODRIGUEZ,
(RODRIGUEZDK@HQMC.USMC.MIL); GYSGT K. A. TAYLOR,
(TAYLORKA@HQMC.USMC.MIL); HQMC, RFF, (703) 614-4981, DSN 224-4981.
10.  SEMPER FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//