Assistance To Identity Theft Victims

 

What To Do If You Are A Victim Of Identity Theft or Internet Fraud

(Information from the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice)

If you think your identity has been stolen. Here's what to do:

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three consumer reporting companies. Advise them that you are a victim of Identity Theft and have them place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will in turn place an alert on their versions of your report also. Once you place the fraud alert in your file, you are entitled to order free copies of your credit reports. If you ask (and you should), only the last four digits of your Social Security number will appear on your credit reports.

2. Call all of the creditors involved. Advise them that you are a victim of Identity Theft. Make sure to close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.

3. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime. Providing the credit bureau agencies with a copy of a police report will allow them to extend the fraud alert on your information to seven years.

4. Correct the address for any mailings in your name being sent to the wrong location by contacting the U.S. Postal Inspectors.

5. File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you.

Credit Bureau Contact Numbers

Credit Bureau	Report Fraud	Credit Reports	Web Sites
Equifax	1-800-525-6285	1-800-685-1111	www.equifax.com
Experian	1-888-397-3742	1-888-397-3742	www.experian.com
Trans Union	1-800-680-7289	1-800-916-8800	www.tuc.com

For Mail Theft: Contact the U.S. Postal Inspectors
www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect

For more in depth information on recovering from identity theft and help with specific problems, download and read:

 How To Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft

ID Theft Information from the Social Security Administration

US Department Of Justice ID Theft Information

Federal Trade Commission ID Theft Resource Center