If you are a veteran who receives medical treatment at a VA Medical Facility, you probably have a Veterans Identification Card (VIC Card). At one time, VIC Cards displayed veterans’ Social Security Numbers. However, changes were made and new cards were issued so the Social Security Number was no longer displayed.
In part, these change were made to reduce the possibility of identity theft. However, the Department of Veterans Affair has noted that it is still very important to safeguard your VIC Card since bar code readers and apps available on many smartphones can read the coding on the card and display a veteran’s Social Security Number. So, if your card got into the wrong hands for a short time, someone could read your Social Security Number off the card.
To find out more about VIC Cards and how to protect your personal information, you can click this link to read the VA’s publication on VIC cards. For more information about veterans benefits, please take a look at our blog or visit our question and answer page.
