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-----Original Message----- From: aopa_epi...@aopa.org [mailto:aopa_epi...@aopa.org] Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 5:19 PM To: brian.kr...@engalt.com Subject: Notice to AOPA Members in Florida ------------------------------------------------------------------- AOPA ePilot Special Bulletin August 9, 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------- A special notice to AOPA members in Florida ==> FLORIDA PILOTS AT RISK FOR ID THEFT <== AOPA is sending you this special "ePilot" to give you advance notice about a breaking news story that could affect your financial health. AOPA is alerting Florida pilots to be on the watch for identity theft. That's because a government laptop computer that had the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of some 42,800 pilots living in Florida was recently stolen. That personal information could be used without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. You could be hit with huge credit card bills or suffer damage to your credit rating. To protect yourself, you may want to contact any one of the three credit reporting companies to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You should also be wary of any phone calls or e-mails from someone claiming to be an FAA or other government official asking for personal information. You can find more information on protecting yourself from identity theft on the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Web site ( http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/ ). The stolen laptop belonged to a special agent with the Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General investigating the use of fraudulent information to obtain pilot certificates or commercial drivers' licenses. The password-protected databases in the laptop include personally identifiable information, including individuals' names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and pilot certificate numbers. Even if your pilot certificate number is NOT your Social Security number, it is still in the database. The laptop was stolen July 27 from a government vehicle in Doral, Florida. The Department of Transportation thinks the thief was after the computer, not the data. DOT will be sending you official notice of the theft soon. For more information, see the DOT's Web site ( http://www.oig.dot.gov ), or call the toll-free hotline, 800/424-9071. ==> CONTACTING AOPA <== Having difficulty using this service? Contact ( mailto:epi...@aopa.org ). AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Telephone: 800/USA-AOPA or 301/695-2000 Copyright (c) 2006. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
