Help! My identity was stolen!
It's a terrible feeling to have your identity stolen. Suddenly creditors are billing you, harrassing you for things you never bought. And it's hard to know what to do.
You may not even notice right away. You don't really look at the bill for the unfamiliar charge on your credit card, you don't receive your statement, your credit report has bills on it that are not yours.
First
Contact Equifax, Experian and Trans Union and ask to speak with their fraud departments. They will send you free copies of your credit report for you to review for fraud. Review the reports they send you carefully for any further fraudulent activity.
Second
Contact the creditors of the fraudulent accounts. You want to speak with either the security or fraud department. Do this in writing as well as over the phone.
Third
File a report with your local police or wherever the identity theft took place. Your creditors may want this as proof of a crime.
If the theft was accomplished by stealing your mail or fraudulently changing your address, contact the postal inspector as well.
All of these will take hours of your time, but there are no other options. Now it is time to protect yourself in the future.
Protect yourself
Close any existing account the theif has used and protect other accounts with a password. Don't use the usual mother's maiden name, last four digits of your social security number or other easily obtained information. This includes credit card accounts, banking accounts and any other account you think may be at risk.
If your social security number continues to be misused, you can ask the Social Security Administration for a new one. This is a last resort, as it can create a huge mess on your credit reports and may not solve the problem, as your old SSN will still be out there. It may also make it difficult to get credit, as the new SSN will lack a credit history.
Check your credit report at least annually after experiencing identity theft.
See my article on opting out of credit card offers to limit the chances future preapproved credit card offers will be stolen.
Site Map - Privacy Policy - Disclaimer
copyright © 2004-2008
