How to Report Telephone ID Theft Scams

Phone scammers will try to steal your identity.

Identity theft is a major problem, and criminals use many methods to get and exploit your personal information. They can easily use Internet phone service or pre-paid cellphone and fake caller ID information to trick you on the telephone. You can help prevent them from claiming more victims by reporting telephone ID theft scams.

Instructions

1. Report the incident to your local police department or the state police. They may not be able to directly catch the thief because most telephone ID scammers use untraceable numbers or operate overseas. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states you will need a police report to put an extended fraud alert on your credit reports and fight collection efforts for bills run up in your name by the scammers.

2. Report the telephone ID theft scam to the FTC. The U.S. Department of Justice explains you can make a report online by calling the FTC or by sending a report through postal mail. The FTC will refer the complaint to other appropriate agencies and give you information on how to minimize the damage to your life and credit.

3. Call Experian, Equifax or TransUnion to report the ID theft, advises the FTC. Each of the three credit bureaus maintains a 24-hour fraud reporting line. The bureaus share their information, according to 101IdentityTheft.com, so you only have to report the situation to one of them. All three will put a temporary fraud alert on your credit reports. It lasts for 90 days but can be extended to seven years upon request and presentation of a crime report.

4. Report the telephone number that showed up on your caller ID to phone number look-up websites like 800notes and WhoCallsMe. The ID information is most likely fake, but other people who receive scam phone calls supposedly from the same number will be able to look it up if they are suspicious. Your information, along with other reports, will help them confirm they are being called by scammers.

Tips & Warnings

• The effects of identity theft can continue for years after you give your information to a scammer over the telephone. Most companies will take extra verification steps before opening accounts if your credit reports have fraud alerts, but they are not legally forced to do this. Check your credit reports regularly for any strange activity or accounts. The FTC states you are entitled to free reports through annualcreditreport.com every year. Get a report from one of the three bureaus every four months.

References

• Federal Trade Commission: Recover from Identity Theft
• 101 Identity Theft: Identity Theft Fraud Alert
• Federal Trade Commission: Free Annual Credit Reports

Resources

• United States Department of Justic: Identity Theft
• 800notes
• WhoCallsMe
• Annual Credit Reports