How to Report Possible Identity Theft
Identity theft takes many forms. A criminal may use your personal information to open financial accounts such as credit cards or student loans or to obtain a cell phone. Or, he may give your name to police during an arrest or to the hospital after an injury. You may not find out that your identity has been stolen until you cannot get credit, do not pass a background check for a job or receive a call from a collections agency. The first step to recovering from a possible identity theft is to report it to all of the appropriate agencies.
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Instructions
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Contact all three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Request a fraud alert be place on your file. The initial fraud alert is valid for 90 days. The fraud alert requires creditors to take measures to verify your identity before opening accounts.
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Request a copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus, and review it carefully for any charges, accounts or personal information that does not belong to you.
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Report the possible identity theft to your local law enforcement agency. Make sure that the report includes all of the evidence you have of the identity theft including account numbers. Obtain a copy of the identity theft report and the report number.
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Report the possible identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Contact the FTC by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or submit your complaint online (see Resources). Include your identity theft report.
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Contact the banks, credit cards and collection agencies that have false charges or that have open accounts in your name that do not belong to you. Give them your identity theft report number, and dispute the charges or account and close the account or get a new account or credit card number.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep records of the steps you take. This includes copies of documentation and a journal of any communication you have with creditors. Include the name of the individual you spoke with and what you discussed.
Recovering from identity theft can be a long process. Be diligent and persistent about getting charges and accounts removed from your record.
