| |
If you suspect
you are a victim of identity theft or if you know you are, what should you do?
Here is a step-by-step guide to clearing
your good name: Contact one
of the three
credit-reporting agencies. That agency will notify the others. A "fraud
alert" will be automatically placed on each of your credit reports within
24 hours. This alerts creditors to call you for permission before any new accounts
are opened in your name. Not all creditors pay attention to "fraud alerts."
You need to stay vigilant for any new accounts that may be opened.Once
the credit-reporting agencies are notified, you'll automatically receive a free
credit report from each of the three agencies, and you will be opted out of preapproved
credit card and insurance offers. After you receive your reports, make note of
the unique number assigned to your account. This will be valuable in all your
communications with the agencies. Write a victim statement explaining what happened
to you, and ask for it to be added to your file at each agency. Contact
creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened without your
knowledge. Be sure to put your complaints in writing. Ask each creditor to provide
you and your investigating law enforcement agency with copies of the documents
showing fraudulent transactions. You may have to fight to get this documentation,
but don't give up. You'll need these to help track down the perpetrator.
Contact the FTC
at (877) 438-4338. While federal investigators only tend to pursue larger, more
sophisticated fraud cases, they monitor identity theft crimes of all levels in
the hopes of discovering patterns and breaking up larger rings. More importantly,
fill out the ID
Theft Affidavit at the FTC's Web site, make copies and send them to your creditors.
The agency also has an online
complaint form.
Alert the police in your city. You may also need to report the crime to the police
departments where the crime occurred. Make sure the police report lists all fraud
accounts. Give as much documented information as possible. Get a copy of the report
and send it to the creditors and the credit-reporting agencies as proof of the
crime. Keep the phone number of your police investigator handy. Change
all your account passwords. If an account does not have a password, add one. Avoid
using your mother's maiden name or the last four digits of your Social Security
number as a personal identification number.Notify
the Office
of the Inspector General if your Social Security number has been fraudulently
used. Ask for a copy of your Personal
Earnings and Benefits Statement and check for accuracy. You
may need to change your driver's license number if someone is using yours as an
ID. Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a new number. Contact your telephone
and utility companies to prevent a con artist from using a utility bill as proof
of residence when applying for new cards. |
