Identity Theft - Immediate Steps To Take If You Are Victimized

In spite of our best efforts, and as cautious as we may be in taking steps to prevent identity theft, including document shredding, carefully guarding our passwords and PIN numbers, protecting our personal information and so forth, our identities can still be stolen. In many cases people fall victim to identity theft through no fault of their own. Computer databases can be compromised by criminals that are becoming increasingly savvy, or by dishonest employees that have access to personal information. Regardless of the scenario, what do you do now that you have fallen victim to identity theft?

1. There are three credit bureaus that are responsible for compiling and reporting our credit records. They are TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. You must immediately notify the fraud unit at one of them. There is no need to contact all three because the bureau that you contacted will notify the other two automatically. They will then place a fraud alert on your file. A fraud alert tells creditors to notify you before they extend credit in your name.

Credit bureau contact information:

Equifax

P.O. Box 70241
Atlanta, GA 30374
800 525-6285
www.equifax.com

Experian

P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
888 397-3742
www.experian.com

TransUnion

2 Baldwin Place
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
800 680-7289
www.transunion.com

2. The next thing you must do is write each one of the three credit bureaus and request a copy of your credit report. Send the request for your credit report via certified mail. When your credit reports arrive make sure you go through each one of them very carefully. The three credit bureaus gather information independently from each other, so they very well may contain different information. Report any and all erroneous and fraudulent information you find to the credit bureaus in writing. You will find further instructions on the credit reports that will help you with this.

3. Immediately close the accounts that you find fraudulent activity on. Send copies of all the documentation that you have that shows evidence that the activity you found is indeed fraudulent. In fact, make plenty of copies of everything you have. You will need them. Send these documents via certified mail as well.

4. File a police report. Be sure to get a copy of the police report. If you are unable to get a copy (some departments won't readily give it to you), get the report number. They have to give at least that to you. Your creditors are going to want to see the police report in the course of their investigation.

5. Report what happened to you to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC routinely works with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to root out identity theft. They also track identity theft cases and have resources at their disposal that may help you.

FTC

Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington D.C. 20580
877 438-4338
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. It is estimated that there are well over 10 million people victimized annually in the United States. Identity theft itself is not, as some people believe, someone walking around immitating you (although it does happen). Identity theft can be something as simple as someone lifting your credit card number from a receipt and using it to buy something. It is reported that 38% of all identity theft victims are victimized by a family member or close friend.

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