Life

Identity Theft

Identity Theft Victims: Immediate Steps

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four steps assoon as possible, and keep a record with the details of yourconversations and copies of all correspondence.

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your creditreports. Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from openingany more accounts in your name. Contact the toll-free fraud number ofany of the three consumer reporting companies below to place a fraudalert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the threecompanies to place an alert. The company you call is required tocontact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions ofyour report, too.

Equifax
1-800-525-6285
www.equifax.com
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374- 0241

Experian
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
www.experian.com
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013

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

Once you place the fraud alert in your file, you're entitled to order free copies of your credit reports, and, if you ask, only the last fourdigits of your SSN will appear on your credit reports.Once you get yourcredit reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries fromcompanies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts onyour accounts that you can't explain. Check that information, like yourSSN, address(es), name or initials, and employers are correct. If youfind fraudulent or inaccurate information, get it removed. SeeCorrecting Credit Reports to learn how. Continue to check your creditreports periodically, especially for the first year after you discoverthe identity theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity hasoccurred.

Fraud Alerts - there are two types of fraud alerts
1) An initial alert stays on your credit report for at least 90 days.You may ask that an initial fraud alert be placed on your credit reportif you suspect you have been, or are about to be, a victim of identitytheft. An initial alert is appropriate if your wallet has been stolenor if you've been taken in by a "phishing" scam. When you place aninitial fraud alert on your credit report, you're entitled to one freecredit report from each of the three nationwide consumer reportingcompanies.

2) An extended alert stays on your credit report for seven years. Youcan have an extended alert placed on your credit report if you've beena victim of identity theft and you provide the consumer reportingcompany with an "identity theft report." When you place an extendedalert on your credit report, you're entitled to two free credit reportswithin twelve months from each of the three nationwide consumerreporting companies. In addition, the consumer reporting companies willremove your name from marketing lists for pre-screened credit offersfor five years unless you ask them to put your name back on the listbefore then.
To place either of these alerts on your credit report, or to have themremoved, you will be required to provide appropriate proof of youridentity: that may include your SSN, name, address and other personalinformation requested by the consumer reporting company.

When a business sees the alert on your credit report, they must verifyyour identity before issuing you credit. As part of this verificationprocess, the business may try to contact you directly. This may causesome delays if you're trying to obtain credit. To compensate forpossible delays, you may wish to include a cell phone number, where youcan be reached easily, in your alert. Remember to keep all contactinformation in your alert current.

2. Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Call and speak with someone in the security or fraud department of eachcompany. Follow up in writing, and include copies (NOT originals) ofsupporting documents. It's important to notify credit card companiesand banks in writing. Send your letters by certified mail, returnreceipt requested, so you can document what the company received andwhen. Keep a file of your correspondence and enclosures.

When you open new accounts, use new Personal Identification Numbers(PINs) and passwords. Avoid using easily available information likeyour mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits ofyour SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.

If the identity thief has made charges or debits on your accounts, oron fraudulently opened accounts, ask the company for the forms todispute those transactions:
For charges and debits on existing accounts, ask the representative tosend you the company's fraud dispute forms. If the company doesn't havespecial forms, use the sample letter to dispute the fraudulent chargesor debits. In either case, write to the company at the address givenfor "billing inquiries," NOT the address for sending your payments.

For new unauthorized accounts, ask if the company accepts the ID TheftAffidavit. If not, ask the representative to send you the company'sfraud dispute forms. If the company already has reported these accountsor debts on your credit report, dispute this fraudulent information.See Correcting Credit Reports to learn how.
Once you have resolved your identity theft dispute with the company,ask for a letter stating that the company has closed the disputedaccounts and has discharged the fraudulent debts. This letter is yourbest proof if errors relating to this account reappear on your creditreport or you are contacted again about the fraudulent debt.

Proving You're a Victim
Applications or other transaction records related to the theft of youridentity may help you prove that you are a victim. For example, you maybe able to show that the signature on an application is not yours.These documents also may contain information about the identity thiefthat is valuable to law enforcement. By law, companies must give you acopy of the application or other business transaction records relatingto your identity theft if you submit your request in writing. Be sureto ask the company representative where you should mail your request.Companies must provide these records at no charge to you within 30 daysof receipt of your request and your supporting documents. You also maygive permission to any law enforcement agency to get these records, orask in your written request that a copy of these records be sent to aparticular law enforcement officer.

The company can ask you for:
- Proof of your identity. This may be a photocopy of agovernment-issued ID card, the same type of information the identitythief used to open or access the account, or the type of informationthe company usually requests from applicants or customers, and
- A police report and a completed affidavit, which may be the Identity Theft Affidavit or the company's own affidavit.

3. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
Then, get a copy of the police report or at the very least, the numberof the report. It can help you deal with creditors who need proof ofthe crime. If the police are reluctant to take your report, ask to filea "Miscellaneous Incidents" report, or try another jurisdiction, likeyour state police. You also can check with your state AttorneyGeneral's office to find out if state law requires the police to takereports for identity theft. Check the Blue Pages of your telephonedirectory for the phone number or check www.naag.org for a list ofstate Attorneys General.

4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
By sharing your identity theft complaint with the FTC, you will provideimportant information that can help law enforcement officials acrossthe nation track down identity thieves and stop them. The FTC can refervictims' complaints to other government agencies and companies forfurther action, as well as investigate companies for violations of lawsthe agency enforces.

You can file a complaint online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. If youdon't have Internet access, call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline,toll-free: 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653- 4261; or write:Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.
Be sure to call the Hotline to update your complaint if you have any additional information or problems.

The Identity Theft Report May Have 2 Parts:
Part One is a copy of a report filed with a local, state, or federallaw enforcement agency, like your local police department, your StateAttorney General, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the FTC, and theU.S. Postal Inspection Service. There is no federal law requiring afederal agency to take a report about identity theft; however, somestate laws require local police departments to take reports. When youfile a report, provide as much information as you can about the crime,including anything you know about the dates of the identity theft, thefraudulent accounts opened and the alleged identity thief.

Note: Knowingly submitting false information could subject you to criminal prosecution for perjury.

Part Two of an identity theft report depends on the policies of theconsumer reporting company and the information provider (the businessthat sent the information to the consumer reporting company). That is,they may ask you to provide information or documentation in addition tothat included in the law enforcement report which is reasonablyintended to verify your identity theft. They must make their requestwithin 15 days of receiving your law enforcement report, or, if youalready obtained an extended fraud alert on your credit report, thedate you submit your request to the credit reporting company forinformation blocking. The consumer reporting company and informationprovider then have 15 more days to work with you to make sure youridentity theft report contains everything they need. They are entitledto take five days to review any information you give them. For example,if you give them information 11 days after they request it, they do nothave to make a final decision until 16 days after they asked you forthat information. If you give them any information after the 15-daydeadline, they can reject your identity theft report as incomplete; youwill have to resubmit your identity theft report with the correctinformation.

You may find that most federal and state agencies, and some localpolice departments, offer only "automated" reports a report that doesnot require a face-to-face meeting with a law enforcement officer.Automated reports may be submitted online, or by telephone or mail. Ifyou have a choice, do not use an automated report. The reason? It'smore difficult for the consumer reporting company or informationprovider to verify the information. Unless you are asking a consumerreporting company to place an extended fraud alert on your creditreport, you probably will have to provide additional information ordocumentation when you use an automated report.

Tips For Organizing Your Case

Accurate and complete records will help you to resolve your identity theft case more quickly.
Have a plan when you contact a company. Don't assume that the personyou talk to will give you all the information or help you need. Preparea list of questions to ask the representative, as well as informationabout your identity theft. Don't end the call until you're sure youunderstand everything you've been told. If you need more help, ask tospeak to a supervisor.
Write down the name of everyone you talk to, what he or she tells you,and the date the conversation occurred. Use Chart Your Course of Actionto help you.
Follow up in writing with all contacts you've made on the phone or inperson. Use certified mail, return receipt requested, so you candocument what the company or organization received and when.
Keep copies of all correspondence or forms you send.
Keep the originals of supporting documents, like police reports and letters to and from creditors; send copies only.
Set up a filing system for easy access to your paperwork.
Keep old files even if you believe your case is closed. Once resolved, most cases stay resolved, but problems can crop up.
Chart Your Course of Action
Record the steps you've taken to report the fraudulent use of your identity. Keep this list in a safe place for reference.