If It Happens To You

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Immediate Steps

• Inform your bank, creditors and financial institutions that you are a victim.
  
  
  
  • Ask them to put “fraud alerts” on accounts that have not been compromised. Advise them not to change your address without your written notification and verification. If you do have a change of address or phone number, be sure to notify them, otherwise it may be difficult to obtain credit in the future.
  
  
  
  • Establish new passwords on all accounts.
  
  
  
  • Close existing accounts that have been used fraudulently. Ask if the company accepts the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Affidavit, available at www.ftc.gov/idtheft. If not, ask them to send you a copy of their fraud dispute form, complete it and return it for processing. When opening replacement accounts, use new PINs and passwords.
  
  
  
  • Cancel your ATM/debit card if it has been stolen or compromised. You may be liable for unauthorized charges if fraud is not reported quickly (refer to your ATM/debit card contract). Obtain a new card, account number and PIN.
  
  
  
• Inform the credit reporting agencies that you are a victim of identity theft.



• To avoid delay, it is strongly recommended that you notify each agency by phone and letter.



• Ask them to place a “fraud alert” on your credit report to prevent identity thieves from opening accounts in your name.



• You can place a 90-day initial fraud alert on your credit report which can be renewed in 90-day intervals indefinitely.



• You can also place an extended fraud alert on your credit report for seven years if you provide a police report or other official record showing that you have been the victim of identity theft.



• For extra protection you can freeze your credit report. By freezing your credit report you prevent lenders from seeing your credit report unless you specifically grant them access.



• Be sure and notify them if your phone number changes, otherwise it may be difficult to obtain credit in the future.



• Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the theft and file a complaint. Your information will be included in a database of identity theft cases that, among other things, aids law enforcement agencies’ investigations.



• Notify your employer if you suspect that your payroll and retirement records have been compromised.



• Notify the post office if you suspect that your mail has been stolen, that an identity thief has filed a change of your address with the post office or that a thief has used the mail to commit fraud.



• Contact the Social Security Administration if your Social Security card is lost or your Social Security number has been misused or stolen.



• Notify check verification companies if your checks have been stolen. Ask them to notify their retail partners. Cancel your existing account and request a new account.



• Contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles office if your driver’s license has been stolen or to see if another license has been issued in your name.

Resolving Your Case

• Take time to understand your rights as a consumer and as a victim of identity theft.



• Keep a log of all conversations — including dates, names and phone numbers — as you deal with legal authorities, financial institutions and credit reporting agencies. You may use the charts provided in the “Reporting Fraud” section.



• Follow up in writing with all contacts you have made over the phone or in person.



• Use certified mail or delivery services where a signature is required for all correspondence regarding your case. Request a return receipt.



• Record the amount of time and out-of-pocket expenses you spend resolving the problem.



• Keep all files, including old ones, even after your case is closed. If identity theft-related errors appear on your credit reports at a future date, you may need your records to dispute them.