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If you are an ID Theft victimIf you are a victim of identity theft, you will need to take the following measures.
Protect your Good Name
Place a fraud alert on your credit reports by contacting the f raud departments of these credit bureaus:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com Fraud Victim Assistance
Obtain a credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.
Ask that the report from each credit bureau be tagged with a fraud alert tag and a victim's statement. New creditors should call you when new credit accounts are requested. Send each bureau a letter requesting that the fraud alert remain in effect for seven years which is the maximum time allowable according to PrivacyRights.org.
File a Police Report
Be persistent. Many police departments resist having to do the necessary paperwork. Some will require that you file reports in the locations in which the theft(s) occurred. You will need a police report to dispute unauthorized charges and to file insurance claims.
Call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-ID-THEFT or fill out an on-line ID theft complaint at FTC.gov. You will then be entered in the FTC’s “Consumer Sentinel” database that is used to catch criminals.
Close all Compromised Accounts
Check all accounts with financial institutions, brokerage firms, credit card companies, stores, phone companies, ISP’s and utilities.
Sample dispute letters
These letters are available at ftc.gov and affidavits are available at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf
Helpful Resources
More detailed 17-step plan to follow if your ID is stolen
www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm
“When bad things happen to your good name” – FTC document full
of sample dispute letters and other recovery procedures.
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
U.S. Department of Justice ID Theft kit
www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html
Identity Theft Resource Center
www.idtheftcenter.org
Internet Crime Complaint Center
http://www.ic3.gov/
ID theft laws vary by state. It is a good idea to search the laws of your state to find out what they are.
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