Published: October 27, 2021
Digital Safety Matters: Aura Can Help
Military families are no strangers to challenging situations. Extra time in an Airbnb when military housing isn’t available yet, flights home during a deployment to have support from family, extra meals out and household items purchased when transportation is delayed, paying for private school or tutors when the education quality is inconsistent, or paying for two separate homes when geo-baching [living separately from the service member] seems like the only option for stability. You name it, military families have been there and paid the price.
Therefore, the last thing they need is another unforeseen and unwelcome circumstance exacerbating the situation. Unfortunately, the above challenges—frequent travel and changing states and addresses in particular—can leave families vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. So much so that active-duty service members and their families are 76% more likely than other adults to be the victim of identity theft.(1) That includes having their credit or personal information stolen, leaving them to deal with detrimental financial loss.
Kristal, a Navy spouse of nearly seven years, has experienced that alarming reality. With three kids, two dogs, and medical concerns better managed with consistent care, she and her husband have navigated the unpredictability of military life by keeping the family stable in one location. She and the kids are based out of Chicago, while her husband continues to move with the military. Their last assignment was their longest separation to date, with Kristal’s husband assigned to Virginia for three years. “The hardest thing about being a military family is the uncertainties of what to expect and how things will go,” Kristal shared.
What Kristal couldn’t have expected was that she’d be a victim of identity theft. And she and the family continue to navigate the difficult impacts to this day. “A few years ago, someone stole my identity,” Kristal recalled. “They took out credit cards, a phone, and more in my name. It was very frustrating and stressful to find out just how easy it was for someone to do that to me and my family. It was a process to try and recoup the financial damages. Now, our credit is locked and we’ve been educated about pulling our credit every year to review any new activity. It can be frustrating because any time I want to apply for credit, the creditor has to call and confirm the request with me, but it’s something I recommend that every family should do to save themselves from the financial and emotional toll. Outside of the financial ramifications, having your identity stolen makes you feel really vulnerable. The knowledge that someone has your personal information and can take advantage of you that way and so easily is a lot to process.”
At Blue Star Families, our mission is to reduce the burdens military families bear on a daily basis, which includes financial and emotional distress. That’s why we partnered with Aura, a company that’s committed to creating a safer internet for all by becoming the standard in digital security. It empowers and educates families who are disproportionately affected by digital crime. All month long, Aura is providing Blue Star Families members with informative, actionable education around protecting themselves. And, in honor of Veterans Day, our friends at Aura are offering 500 of our members two years of free access to its all-in-one digital security protection app, beginning on November 1st.
“Having partners available to educate you on how to protect yourself is so important because we already have a lot going on living this military lifestyle,” Kristal said. “ Having one less thing to worry about definitely reduces stress and makes things easier.” Learn more about accessing Aura’s services as part of Blue Star Families’ partnership by visiting www.bluestarfam.org/aura.
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