TO ALNAV ALNAV @ AL ALNAV(UC) INFO CNO CNO CNO SECNAV RAAUZYUW RUEWMFU6046 0632016-UUUU--RUCRNAV. ZNR UUUUU ZUI RUENAAA6046 0632016 R 042016Z MAR 05 PSN 461262K21 FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV ZEN/ALNAV @ AL ALNAV(UC) INFO ZEN/CNO CNO ZEN/CNO SECNAV BT UNCLAS SUBJ: LOSS OF TRAVEL CARD PROGRAM DATA PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV UNCLAS ALNAV 019/05 MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAR// SUBJ/LOSS OF TRAVEL CARD PROGRAM DATA// RMKS/1. THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY HAS ASKED ME, AS THE COMPTROLLER OF THE DEPARTMENT, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON A LOSS OF DATA BY BANK OF AMERICA RELATED TO DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD PARTICIPANTS. THE MESSAGE ALSO PROVIDES SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT PAGE 02 RUEWMFU6046 UNCLAS SHOULD BE TAKEN BY IMPACTED PERSONNEL TO MITIGATE THE POTENTIAL OF INAPPROPRIATE USE OF THEIR GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD AND/OR THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION. 2. IN LATE DECEMBER 2004 THE BANK OF AMERICA EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF COMPUTER DATA TAPES CONTAINING 1.1 MILLION BANK OF AMERICA GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD ACCOUNT NUMBERS IN EXCESS OF 242,000 NAVY AND 56,000 MARINE CORPS ACCOUNT HOLDERS. BOTH OPEN AND CLOSED ACCOUNTS ARE POTENTIALLY IMPACTED. THE TAPES ALSO CONTAINED PERSONAL INFORMATION (E.G. NAMES, SSNS, AND ADDRESSES) FOR MANY OF THESE ACCOUNTS. 3. THE U.S. SECRET SERVICE HAS JURISDICTION OVER THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION AND THEY WERE NOTIFIED AS SOON AS THE LOSS WAS DISCOVERED. TO DATE, NEITHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES NOR THE BANK OF AMERICA HAS DETECTED ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY CONNECTED WITH THE LOST DATA. MONITORING OF ALL AFFECTED ACCOUNTS BY BANK OF AMERICA S FRAUD UNIT WILL BE AN ONGOING EFFORT. 4. BANK OF AMERICA BEGAN MAILING LETTERS TO AFFECTED CARDHOLDERS ON 25 FEBRUARY 2005. TO ENSURE MORE COMPLETE IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION, CARDHOLDERS WHO RECEIVE A LETTER FROM THE BANK OF AMERICA DESCRIBING THE LOSS OF THE TAPES SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING: PAGE 03 RUEWMFU6046 UNCLAS A. CONTACT THE BANK S DEDICATED TOLL FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER (1-800-493-8444) TO CONFIRM THEIR ACCOUNT WAS INCLUDED IN THE LOST TAPES. B. REQUEST A FREE COPY OF THEIR CREDIT BUREAU REPORT. C. REVIEW THEIR CREDIT REPORTS CAREFULLY FOR ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY (SUCH AS UNEXPLAINED NEW ACCOUNTS). CREDIT REPORT MONITORING SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR AT LEAST 18 MONTHS. IN ADDITION TO THE CREDIT REPORT OBTAINED THROUGH BANK OF AMERICA, THE FACT ACT REQUIRES EACH OF THE THREE NATIONWIDE CONSUMER CREDIT REPORTING COMPANIES TO PROVIDE A FREE COPY OF AN INDIVIDUALS CREDIT REPORT ONCE EVERY 12 MONTHS. A SEPARATE REPORT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM EACH OF THE THREE COMPANIES IN ANY 12 MONTH PERIOD. THEREFORE, ANY POTENTIAL COSTS OF OBTAINING MULTIPLE CREDIT REPORTS OVER TIME CAN BE MINIMIZED. THE FTC HAS PUBLISHED A BROCHURE OUTLINING THE SPECIFICS OF THE FACT ACT. IT IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.FTC.GOV/BCP/CONLINE/PUBS/CREDIT/FREEREPORTS.HTM. D. ASK HOW THEY MAY PLACE A FRAUD ALERT ON THEIR CREDIT FILES. A FRAUD ALERT WILL STAY ON A CREDIT FILE FOR 90 DAYS AND TELLS ANY CREDITOR TO CONTACT THE CARDHOLDER BEFORE ANY NEW ACCOUNTS ARE OPENED OR CHANGES TO EXISTING ACCOUNTS OCCUR. MILITARY MEMBERS CAN PAGE 04 RUEWMFU6046 UNCLAS HAVE A FRAUD ALERT PUT IN PLACE FOR 12 MONTHS. THIS PROCEDURE, HOWEVER, SLOWS THE PROCESS FOR OBTAINING CREDIT APPROVALS. 5. TRAVEL CARDHOLDERS NOT RECEIVING A LETTER FROM BANK OF AMERICA SHOULD CONFIRM WITH THEIR TRAVEL CARD COORDINATOR THAT THE ADDRESS ON FILE WITH THE BANK 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. 6. CARDHOLDERS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR FRAUDULENT CHARGES PLACED ON THEIR GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD ACCOUNT. 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 OTHER 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 OBTAIN A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT SINCE MANY CREDITORS WANT THE INFORMATION THE REPORT CONTAINS TO ABSOLVE CARDHOLDERS OF FRAUDULENT DEBTS. A CARDHOLDER WHO DETECTS SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY ALSO SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE FTC AT WWW.CONSUMER.GOV/IDTHEFT PAGE 05 RUEWMFU6046 UNCLAS OR AT 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338). SUCH COMPLAINTS WILL BE ADDED TO THE FTCS IDENTITY THEFT DATA CLEARINGHOUSE, WHERE IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO LAW ENFORCERS FOR THEIR INVESTIGATIONS. THE BANK IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY CANCELLING CARDS AT THIS TIME. IF INDIVIDUALS WHOSE ACCOUNT INFORMATION WAS INCLUDED WANT TO HAVE THEIR CARDS REPLACED, THEY CAN CALL THE 800 NUMBER AND THAT WILL BE DONE. 7. THE DEPARTMENT WILL REMAIN ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TRAVEL CARD PROGRAM MANAGERS AND BANK OF AMERICA TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND TO ENSURE DISTRIBUTION THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND OF NEW INFORMATION THAT MAY BE RECEIVED. 8. THE HONORABLE RICHARD GRECO, JR., ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND COMPTROLLER) SENDS. 9. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.// BT #6046 NNNN