IRS Offers Veterans Assistance on Stolen Data

WASHINGTON -- In response to the theft last month of a laptop containing the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of 26 million veterans, the Internal Revenue Service announced last week that it will help the Veterans Affairs Department by forwarding letters to veterans whose identifying information might be at risk, The Associated Press reported.

The IRS plans to use a private vendor to take names and addresses generated by the IRS, and affix them to the VA letters, the AP reported.
The tax agency's files hold the most recent addresses for taxpayers, and the IRS can forward letters to individuals in certain emergency situations, the AP reported.

The laptop containing information on veterans who have served since 1975, was stolen from a VA employee’s home on May 3. Since then, more than 120,000 veterans, concerned that their personal information was stolen, have called the VA with questions about what to do about it, a department spokesman said Friday, according to the AP.

-- NYSSCPA.org News Staff

Posted on 6/1/06