HELP FOR IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS

First, contact your bank immediately, especially if you notice a missing payment or an unauthorized withdrawal, or even an unusual deposit. Federal and State laws can limit how much money you lose if you’re a victim of identity theft or fraud, but you put yourself in a less vulnerable position by reporting any problems quickly.

Second, contact any institutions in which you have not received your normal billing statements on time or from which you have received a statement of charges you did not make. Always check your statements very careful and make sure all the charges are those you authorized. If something is suspicious, always contact the institution immediately!

Third, DO NOT pay any bills that are not yours! Write and send certified letters explaining the circumstances of the fraud to each company involved. If you get contacted by a collection company, do not get intimidated, just inform them of your circumstances and send them the information of your circumstances. If you keep getting harassed by them, let them know they are violating your rights and the law and that you are documenting everything and will take legal action if they do not stop.

Fourth, request a copy of your credit report to see if there is any unusual activity. Effective in 2003, a law was established which allows each person to get one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three credit reporting agencies. If you have already received your free report for the year when you suspect something has gone wrong, it will be worth paying for another copy to review it. It is important to consistently get and review your credit report because new accounts opened in your name can take as long as six months before showing up on your report.

To request a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies, call toll free 1-877-322-8228 or go online to www.annualcreditreport.com

(1) Call The Police: You need to report identity theft to the police or sheriff’s department that has jurisdiction in your case. Be sure to get a copy of the police report and file it away in a safe place.

**There are now millions of identity theft victims every year, yet many people still make the mistake of NEVER reporting it. Documentation is very important, so ALWAYS get as much documentation as you can for your records.

(2) Contact the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft victims hotline at 1.877.438.4338 and file a complaint. Be aware that the FTC does not settle your identity theft problem, but your complaint placed with them can lead to law enforcement action.

(3) Complete an Identity Theft Affidavit as soon as possible IF new accounts have been opened in your name. Many creditors want to see an affidavit within two weeks of identity theft. Any delay could impede an investigation. Also Note: Some companies may require different forms or may not accept the Identity Theft Affidavit. Be sure to check with each company to find out exactly what they require.
(4) Keep Good Records: Recovering from identity theft can be a long and complicated process. Therefore, it is very important to keep good, detailed records of all communications you have with any organization or institution with whom you contact.

**Send all letters by certified mail. Keep copies of everything you send and please be sure to keep all copies in a safe place, like a filing cabinet, where you can quickly get your hands on them when you have need. The best copies in the world do you no good if you can’t find them when you need them!

**Also, keep track of how much time you spend in dealing with the problem and how much money you spend because you will need that information if your case were to lead to a lawsuit.

(5) Use an Identity Theft Worksheet to help in your recovery efforts: Click here to get the worksheet.

(6) Freeze fraudulent accounts: Contact the appropriate creditors, phone companies, utility companies, banks, or credit card companies, and have them freeze the account that has been victimized.

**You should only be liable for the first $50.00, although different institutions have different policies. Many will not make you liable for anything if you notify them immediately upon realization of being victimized by identity theft. You should be able to get replacement cards and new account numbers promptly.

(7) Close Accounts: If an account, like a savings account or a checking account, has been compromized by identity theft, you may want to close the account, open up a new account, and place a secure password on it. Be sure NOT to use your social security number, phone number, birthdate, or mother’s maiden name.

(8) Get New Personal Identification Cards: You may need to contact the agencies that issued any personal identification cards, like your driver’s license, and tell them you have been victimized by identity theft so they can red flag your account. Tell them you want to get a replacement and follow the procedures they give you.

(9) Check Your Credit Report: Request a copy of your credit report and look for any suspicious activity. Check for inquiries that you do not recognize and any new accounts opened in your name. Because new accounts may take up to six months to show up on the report, continue to monitor your credit report. To request a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies, call toll free 1-877-322-8228 or go online to www.annualcreditreport.com.

(10) Use Security Freezes: Some states allow you to place a security freeze on your credit file. You will need to determine if your state allows this and be aware of the fees involved for placing the freeze and for temporarily lifting the freeze. Protect your Identity with IDFreeze

**A Security Freeze will require you to plan ahead for all your personal credit applications because you will have to contact the credit reporting agency to request that they temporarily lift the freeze to allow them to report your credit file to the institution you are desiring to do business with.

**It can possibly take up to three business days to process your request to lift the security freeze. It may take a considerably longer time if you were to lose the security freeze confirmation number you are provided when you placed the freeze on your credit file.

**Also, be aware that you may not be able to request a lift of the security freeze during non-business hours or on weekends. You may be blocked from making a major purchase with a security freeze in place. You need to be aware of all the requirements and conditions involved in a credit freeze.

**Many people find that fraud alerts work just fine for them without all the complications of a credit freeze.

(11) Use Fraud Alerts: Call one of the three reporting agencies and have them put a fraud alert on your file, which will aid in preventing new credit accounts from being opened without your express permission.

**You may place an extended 7 year alert by writing to one of the nationwide credit reporting agencies and providing an Identity Theft Report as well as a day and evening telephone number. The requirements for an Identity Theft Report can be found on the Federal Trade Commission’s website at www.ftc.gov.

**The extended alert removes your name from pre-screened offers of credit for 5 years. You will receive confirmation when an alert is added to your credit file.

**You are normally told to place the alert with just one of the three major credit reporting agencies, and they will alert the other two, who are supposed to do the same. However, this does not always take place and sometimes people are left unprotected. You will need to follow up to make sure all three place the fraud alert on your credit file.

(12) Contact the Post Office: If your mail has been tampered with or stolen, the United States Postal Inspection Service has primary jurisdiction in all matters infringing on the integrity of the U.S. mail. Contact your local postal inspector who can tell you what further action to take.

(13) Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles: If your driver’s license has been stolen or your driver’s license number has been used in a fraudulent way, contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles immediately.

(14) Contact the National Fraud Information Center: If you were victimized by someone as part of a business scam, contact the National Fraud Information Center at 1-800-876-7060.

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Help For Identity Theft Victims

Here Are Some Preliminary Things To Do For Those Who Suspect They MIGHT Have Become Identity Theft Victims.

What To Do If You Have Recently Been Victimized By Identity Theft: