Protect Our Military – They Protect Us
Message from Attorney General Terry Goddard: Appreciating America's Veterans 
Press Releases 
| 10/29/2009 | Goddard Applauds Luke's Selection as Finalist for F-35 Training |
Event Highlights
On September 11, 2009, US VETS held a dedication ceremony for 20 units of low-income veteran housing at 804 E. Jones Avenue in Phoenix. The event remembered the tragedy of 9-11-2001, acknowledged the progress of today, and opened a few doors into a new tomorrow for the soldiers of yesterday. Attorney General Terry Goddard spoke of the importance of reaching out to help veterans who are struggling return to safe, happy and productive lives. He joined with in the ribbon cutting ceremony with US VETS State Director of Arizona, Brad Bridwell and Phoenix City Councilman, Michael Johnson
(click above to play video)
Preventing Consumer Abuse of Our Military and Veterans
Safeguarding our freedom during war and peacetime is the ultimate gift our military personnel and veterans provide each of us. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude. I am committed to protecting Arizona military personnel, their dependents and veterans against thieves and con artists.
Unfortunately, America’s military personnel, their families and veterans are prime targets for ID theft and consumer scams, according to the National Consumer Law Center. Despite new laws and initiatives to curb such abuse, the trend continues.
Armed services personnel and veterans can take the following steps to protect themselves from ID thieves and con artists:
Active Duty Alert
The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides active duty personnel with an opportunity to place an “active duty alert” on their credit reports in an effort to reduce identity theft during periods of deployment. This alert requires a business or financial institution to verify that the person applying for credit is not an imposter. Military personnel should contact any of the following three national credit reporting companies to place the “active duty alert”:
The “active duty alert” stays in effect for one year, unless the individual or his or her personal representative requests that it be removed before the year expires.
Free Credit Reports
Military personnel and veterans can also protect themselves against ID theft by monitoring their credit reports to determine if someone has applied for or obtained credit in their name. Provisions in the FCRA provide Arizonans with the opportunity to receive free copies of their credit reports once a year from each of the national credit reporting companies listed above.
To obtain the credit reports at no cost, consumers can contact a centralized source:
Telephone: 1.877.322.8228
Online: www.annualcreditreport.com
Mail: Complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form available at www.ftc.gov and
mail to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
To maximize the benefits of the free credit reports, consumers should consider spacing out their requests over a twelve-month period, requesting a report from a different credit reporting agency every four months.
Please note that if you contact one of the three companies without using the phone number or addresses listed above, you could be charged for the report.
Consumers are also entitled to a free report from each of the credit reporting companies if they believe they have been the victim of identity theft. Consumers will most likely be asked to provide a copy of the police report. If consumers are denied credit based on information provided by a credit reporting agency, they are also entitled to a free credit report if they make a request within 30 days after the application for credit was denied.
These are just two steps military personnel and veterans
can take to prevent ID theft. More information on consumer
fraud issues and ID
theft prevention can be found on this Web site and in the Identity Theft Repair Kit.
If you think that you have been a victim of identity theft or any consumer scam, you should first contact the company in writing and specifically request the relief that you feel is appropriate. You may also file a complaint with the Arizona Attorney General's Office (be sure to mention that you are a veteran, active duty personnel or military dependent):
| PHOENIX OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Consumer Information and Complaints 1275 West Washington Phoenix, Arizona 85007-2926 602.542.5763 or 800.352.8431 (outside of the Phoenix Metro Area) consumerinfo@azag.gov |
TUCSON OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Consumer Information and Complaints 400 West Congress South Building, Suite 315 Tucson, Arizona 85701-1367 520.628.6504 or 800.352.8431 consumerinfo@azag.gov |
MILITARY AND VETERANS HOTLINE 1.866.879.5219
Because this Office receives thousands of complaints per year, not all of them can be fully investigated. However, you should receive a response to your complaint within two to three weeks. Many complaints result in Attorney General enforcement actions against companies or merchants. An enforcement action sometimes results in civil penalties, attorneys’ fees and refunds to affected consumers.
Sign up to receive scam alerts from our Office.
Additional Resources
Arizona Department of Veteran Services
Arizona National Guard
Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame
American Legion
AMVETS
Department of Veteran Affairs
- Department of Veteran Affairs - Phoenix
- Department of Veteran Affairs - Tucson
Disabled American Veterans
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Federal Trade Commission Web
Judge Advocate Generals
- U.S. Army
- U.S. Navy
- U.S. Marines
- U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Coast Guard
LIFELines
Marine Corps Community Services
Military Health System
Military Homefront
National Organization of Veteran Advocates, Inc.
U.S. Vets
United States Department of Labor:
Veterans Employment and Training
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
