Veterans are much more likely to suffer from identity theft than other Americans. Army combat veteran Blake Hall created ID.me to help protect his fellow veterans. He shares his story in this week’s episode of Tango Alpha Lima.
Veterans suffer identify theft at about an 80% rate higher than the average American.
Army combat veteran Blake Hall is on a mission to protect veterans as the co-founder and CEO of ID.me, a digital wallet used by more than 145 million Americans to keep themselves safe and make their lives easier while they transact online.
The ID.me wallet allows verified data to move with people so Americans can use a single sign-in to prove their identity and easily access hundreds of federal, state and private sector websites. In keeping with military tradition, ID.me is committed to “No Identity Left Behind” so everyone can benefit from the convenience of digital services.
With the rise of fraud and generative AI scams, the internet is increasingly less safe. ID.me solves both problems with a simple, secure login you can use across any website where ID.me is accepted. ID.me has grown into a trusted solution for 20 federal agencies, 44 state agencies, 66 health-care organizations, and more than 600 consumer brands.
“The Legion started the GI Bill,” Hall says, referring to the passage of the original GI Bill in 1944 and subsequent updates also supported by The American Legion. “Then we can become a conduit to let veterans and servicemembers know about programs. Right now, through ID.me, I could email 7 million to 8 million veterans about a new program. We are effectively the first sergeant to get the news out.”
In this week’s episode of the Tango Alpha Lima podcast, Hall also discusses a range of issues that ID.me addresses including managing multiple sign-ins, tackling fraud and legacy VA sign-ins.
Prior to ID.me, Hall led a reconnaissance platoon in Iraq on more than 450 combat patrols without sustaining any casualties within the platoon or attachments. He was awarded two Bronze Stars, one for heroism in combat earned while stopping an Al-Qaida assault on a Combat Support Hospital in Mosul, Iraq. He earned the second Bronze Star for exceptional performance hunting high-value targets.
Hall, who graduated from the Army’s Ranger School and Airborne School, followed his father and grandfather into the service. “I love America and just wanted to give back,” he said.
Part of the success of ID.me is due to support they receive beyond employees and official partners. Hall, a member of American Legion Post 141 in Virginia, says that is similar to how the Legion makes an impact.
“People just want to give back to a community they care about,” he says. “And if you put your passion out into the world, there are so many people who just want to help you win and believe it will make a positive difference.”
Also, co-hosts Joe Worley and Adam Marr:
• Share some facts about the U.S. Constitution, ahead of this weekend’s national oratorical contest.
• Rat out a hero for his work in detecting landmines.
• Hand out a Bravo Zulu award for a post’s efforts to promote Americanism.
You can also check out the more than 300 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.
- Tango Alpha Lima