New site lets military members file consumer complaints

The Federal Trade Commission and the Defense Department on Tuesday launched an online consumer-complaint service geared toward military personnel.

Dubbed "Military Sentinel," the service allows people in the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force to enter complaints about fraud and identity theft into a database accessible by more than 500 law enforcement agencies that pursue such cases, enabling officials to pinpoint the biggest problems.

The site also gives military personnel access to the FTC's consumer-related materials, including information on Internet-based fraud, credit and lending, and work-at-home and advance-fee-loan schemes.

"The Military Sentinel system is an invaluable extension of the commission's consumer-protection umbrella," FTC Chairman Timothy Muris said in a statement. "It takes steps to educate and protect our service members and provides law enforcement with the necessary tools to conduct joint sweeps and investigations against those who target our military personnel and their families."