DATE: December 26, 2002 KY Retirement Systems Agrees to Change System for 170,000 Retirees FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Martha Steimel President Victims Assistance of America msteimel@victimsassistanceofamerica.org 502-292-2456 202-213-2541 KY Retirement Systems Agrees to Change System for 170,000 Retirees

Prospect, KY (December 26, 2002) - Victims Assistance of America, Inc (VAA) -- DATE: December 20, 2002 Kentucky Retirement Systems Agrees to Change System for 170,000 retirees FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Martha Steimel President Victims Assistance of America msteimel@victimsassistanceofamerica.org 502-292-2456 Kentucky Retirement Systems (KRS) Agrees to change system for 170,000 retirees Prospect, KY (September 18, 2002) - Victims Assistance of America, Inc (VAA) Mr. Bill Blackburn of Frankfort Kentucky brought to VAA’s attention the fact that 170,000 Kentucky retirees cannot get their social security numbers off of their health insurance cards because the Kentucky Retirement Systems sends all mail electronically by social security number and the insurance companies therefore have to comply. After the news of 30,000+ new victims of Identity Theft hit the wires a few weeks ago, Martha Steimel, the president of Victims Assistance of America, Inc (VAA) the nation’s only national 501-c-3 nonprofit that aggressively addresses identity theft issues around the nation was contacted for radio interviews around the country. It must be disturbing for retirees to hear her say to put your social security card in a lock box at the bank. Do not carry it with you and do not leave it around your home where it could be found during a break-in when there are 170,000 people in Kentucky alone who happen to have it stamped on their health insurance cards. When it was brought to the attention of VAA, Ms Steimel contacted Ms Jill Hunter, the Deputy Executive Director of the Kentucky Retirement Systems. KRS has readily agreed that a change is in the process. They realize that insurance companies around the US are the last and final organizations to remove Social Security Numbers from ID Cards and they want to be one of the first to make the move for a positive change. So, in the near future Kentucky retirees should see that change take place and when you do – please contact your insurance carrier and ask them to remove your social security number immediately from your health insurance card. As a note to all, you health insurance is no different than any other account that you protect with a PIN number. Ask your insurance company to not only remove your social security number from your card (whether you are retired or not) but also ask to have a PIN number added so that no one else can go to the hospital, doctor, or have surgery in your name with your insurance coverage. Victims Assistance of America, Inc (VAA) is a national 501-c-3 nonprofit that addresses the needs of the victims of identity theft. Their website can be found at: Http://www.victimsassistanceofamerica.org. Their website alone helps over 1500 new victims daily. You can also e-mail from the site and be assigned a victim’s advocate who will help you through your problem personally if you are a victim of identity theft issues. Martha Steimel, VAA’s president hails from Louisville Kentucky and is proud to be able to get KY to be the first state that she is aware of to change over their retirement system for the prevention of Identity Theft. Please – All States- take a heads up to this and get those social security numbers off of your medical health cards, any companies still putting them on time cards open for all to see – remove them now. Let’s not have another 30,000+ victims all at one time because we’ve been the dinosaur who just hasn’t changed over yet. Protect your clients, Protect your employees! Thank you.

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