Fighting Identity Theft
What are the steps I should take if I'm a victim of identity theft?
If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four steps as soon as possible, and keep a record with the details of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.
1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your credit reports. Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name. Contact the toll-free fraud number of any of the three consumer reporting companies below to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three companies (contact information below) to place an alert.
The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. If you do not receive a confirmation from a company, you should contact that company directly to place a fraud alert.
- 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 Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Once a fraud alert in your file, you're entitled to order one free copy of your credit report from each of the three consumer reporting companies, and, if you ask, only the last four digits of your Social Security number will appear on your credit reports. Once you get your credit reports, review them carefully. Look for activities on your accounts that you can't explain. Check information like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers are correct.
If you find inaccurate information, get it removed. When you correct your credit report, use an Report with a cover letter explaining your request, to get the fastest and most complete results. Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year after you discover the identity theft, to make sure it doesn't happen again.
2. Close the accounts that you believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Call and speak with someone in the security/fraud department of each company. Follow up in writing, and include copies (NOT originals) of all documents in question.
Notify credit card companies and banks in writing. Send your letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document when they received them. Keep a file of your letters and everything you sent. Do not let yourself get bullied by creditors or collections agencies. Do not pay bills that you did not have anything to do with. If they keep insisting you have to pay a bill you do not owe, that you have proven on, report it immediately to government regulators for that particular business.
When you open new accounts, use new Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords. Avoid using information that's easy to guess like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
If the identity thief has made charges to your account ask the company for the forms to dispute those transactions: For charges and debits on existing accounts, ask the representative to send you the company's fraud dispute forms. Write to the company at the address given for "billing inquiries," NOT the address for sending your payments. For new unauthorized accounts, you can either file a dispute directly with the company or file a report with the police and provide a copy, called an “Identity Theft Report,” to the company.
If you want to file a dispute directly with the company, and do not want to file a report with the police, ask the representative to send you the company's fraud dispute forms. It's worth knowing that filing a report with the police and then providing the company with an Report will give you greater protection. For example, if the company has already reported these unauthorized accounts or debts on your credit report, an Report will require them to stop reporting that fraudulent information. Use the cover letter to explain to the company the rights you have by using the Report.
Once you have resolved your dispute with the company, ask for a letter stating that the company has closed the disputed accounts and has discharged the fraudulent debts.Use this letter as proof if errors relating to this account reappear on your credit report or you are contacted again about the fraudulent debt.
3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form; or call the FTC's Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261
or write Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.
Be sure to call the Hotline to update your complaint if you have any additional information or problems. By informing the FTC, you will provide important information that can help law enforcement officials across the nation track down identity thieves and stop them. The FTC can refer complaints to other agencies and companies for further action, as well as investigate companies for violations of laws the agency enforces.
Additionally, you can provide a printed copy of your online Complaint form to the police to incorporate into their police report. The printed FTC ID Theft Complaint, along with the police report, can constitute an Report and entitle you to certain protections. This Report can be used to permanently block fraudulent information from appearing on your credit report, ensure that debts do not reappear on your credit report It can also prevent a company from continuing to collect debts that result from and place an extended fraud alert on your credit report.
4. File a report with your local police. Call your local police department and tell them that you want to file an report. If the police are reluctant to take your report, ask to file a "Miscellaneous Incident" report, or try another jurisdiction, like your state police. You also can check with your state Attorney General's office to find out if state law requires the police to take reports for identity theft.
Check the Blue/Government Pages of your telephone directory for the phone number or check www.naag.org for a list of state Attorneys General. If filing a report in person, bring a printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form, your cover letter, and your supporting documentation. Ask the officer to attach or incorporate the ID Theft Complaint into their police report. Tell them that you need a copy of the Report (the police report with your ID Theft Complaint attached or incorporated) to dispute the fraudulent accounts and charges created by the identity thief.
In some jurisdictions the officer will not be able to give you a copy of the official police report, but should be able to sign your Complaint and write the police report number in the “Law Enforcement Report” section.
 |