Report Identity Theft - What To Do if You Become A Victim !

 No matter how many preventative steps you take to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, the unthinkable can still occur. In this situation, follow the list of steps below to quickly repair any credit damage. The faster you do this, the better.

1. Contact at least one of the three credit reporting agencies and request a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. Once the fraud alert is placed on your account, it will automatically be placed on the other two.

 This fraud alert is good for 90 days and can be extended up to 7 years if a report is filed with the police department. The fraud alert notifies credit granters to confirm requests for credit with you before granting them. At this time you will also be eligible for a free copy of your credit report from each credit bureau.

2. Report the identity theft to your police of sheriff’s department and obtain a copy of the police report. Creditors will require the police report when you request to remove negative information from your file.

3. Report the identify theft to the Federal Trade Commission. You will need to complete the Identity Theft Affidavit form. Many of the creditors affected by the theft will need this.

4. Close any account affected by the identity theft.

5. Notify all of your credit card companies and let them know you were a victim of identity theft.

6. Close any unfamiliar accounts.

7. Contact the Social Security Administration if you suspect your Social Security number was compromised or is being used by someone else.

8. Keep copies of all correspondence to credit bureaus, creditors, Federal Trade Commission, Social Security Administration, and others pertaining to the identify theft.

Fraud Contacts

If you are a victim of identity theft, the following list will get you started down the path of clearing your good name. They key is to act quickly.

Credit Bureaus
Equifax
Fraud Reporting Line: 1-800-525-6285
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
www.equifax.com

Experian
Fraud Reporting Line: 1-800-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, Texas 75013
www.experian.com

TransUnion
Fraud Reporting Line: 1-800-680-7289
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
www.transunion.com

Federal Trade Commission
1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)
Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
To file the FTC Report online, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Social Security Administration
To report a stolen or misused Social Security number, call
1-800-269-0271
Visit: www.ssa.gov.