Recent Press Releases

Washington, DC —  Senator John Thune, member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement cautioning South Dakota veterans to keep close track of their financial and other personal information in light of the recent theft of millions of electronic records of veterans:

"The FBI is currently investigating the recent theft of personal data of nearly 26.5 million veterans and some spouses," Thune said. "Because of this egregious crime, I want to urge all South Dakota veterans to keep close track of their financial and personal information for any unusual activity.

"I have full faith in our law enforcement officials to bring those responsible for this crime to justice and recover the stolen data. As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, I will work with my colleagues on the committee to review what steps should have been taken to prevent this crime from happening. The VA's information technology programs and information security policies have been a source of concern for me for some time, which is why I introduced the VA Information Technology Management Improvement Act last year to strengthen and streamline the VA's information technology programs. I will work with my colleagues on the committee to have this measure considered to ensure that this kind of security breach never occurs again."

The VA has set up a manned call center that veterans may call to get information about this situation and learn more about consumer identity protections. The toll-free number is 1-800-FED INFO (333-4636).

The call center, which opened Monday, May 22, will operate from 8 am to 9 pm (EDT), Monday-Saturday as long as necessary. The call center will be able to handle up to 20,000 calls per hour (260,000 calls per day).

Additional information is available at http://www.firstgov.gov .