Part
3 of 3
(Excerpted
from ID THEFT: WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOUR GOOD NAME from the
Federal
Trade Commission.)
IF
YOU’RE
A VICTIM
Sometimes an identity thief can strike even if you’ve been
very careful about keeping your personal information to yourself.
If you suspect
that your personal information has been misused to commit fraud or
theft, take action immediately, and keep a detailed record of your
conversations
and correspondence.
YOUR FIRST THREE STEPS
First, contact the fraud departments of each of the three credit
bureaus. Tell them that you’re an identity theft victim. Request
that a “fraud
alert” be place in your file, as well as a victim’s
statement that asks creditors to call you before opening any new
accounts or
changing existing accounts. This can help prevent an identity thief
from opening
additional accounts in your name.
At the same time, order copies of your credit reports from the
three major credit bureaus. Credit bureaus must give you a free
copy of
your report if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, and
you ask for
it in wring. Review your reports carefully to make sure no additional
fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized
charges made to your existing accounts.
Also, check the section
of your report
that lists “inquiries.” Where “inquiries” appear
from the company(ies) that opened the fraudulent account(s), request
that they be removed from your report. In a few months, order new
copies of your reports to verify your corrections, and to make sure
no fraudulent
activity has occurred.
Secondly, close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered
with or opened fraudulently.
Credit Accounts
Credit accounts include all accounts with banks, credit card companies
and other lenders, and phone companies, ISP’s and other service
providers. If your are closing your existing accounts, use new Personal
Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords when you open new accounts.
ATM CARDS
If your ATM card has been lost, stolen or otherwise compromised,
cancel the card as soon as you can. Get a new card with a new
PIN.
CHECKS
If your checks have been stolen or misused, stop payment and
ask your bank to notify the check verification service
with which it
does business.
Third, file a police report with your local police or the
police in the community where the identity theft took place.
Get a
copy of the police
report. Very often, the bank, credit card company or others
need proof of the crime in order to erase debts created
by the identity
thief. If
you can’t get a copy of the report, at least get the
report number.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC)-The FTC is educating consumers and businesses
about the importance of personal information privacy. For more information
call 1-877-FTC HELP
or visit: www.ftc.gov.
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