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Responding To Identity Theft

By Aaron Larson

Law Offices of Aaron Larson

July, 2004

When it comes to identity theft, your best option is to exercise care up front to minimize the risk of its occurrence. After identity theft has occurred, it can be very time-consuming, difficult, and even expensive to repair the damage.

If you believe your identity has been stolen:

File a Police Report. Send copies of the report to any creditors or other entities which may require proof of the crime.

File a Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
1-877-IDTHEFT

File A Complaint With The USPS: If the identity theft involves the U.S. mails, report the incident to the United States Postal Service.

Contact the Credit Bureaus: Contact at least one of the three major credit bureaus to have a fraud alert placed on your credit file. Once your fraud alert has been confirmed, it will automatically be shared with the other two major bureaus, and all three agencies will send you free copies of your credit report. The alert will require creditors to contact you before they open any new credit accounts or modify your existing accounts. (Note: After a fraud alert is filed you will have to confirm new credit activity from your registered phone number.) The credit reports you receive should reflect if somebody has opened accounts in your name or if an unauthorized address is associated with any credit activity.

Follow up with the credit bureaus after a few months, again obtaining your credit reports, to ensure that proper corrective actions have been taken, and that any "victim's statement" you requested that they include in your credit report is properly included.

Contact Check Verification Companies: If you know that bank accounts have been opened in your name, or if somebody may be using stolen checks from your account, contact the major check verification companies and inform them of the identity thef so that they will not honor fake or stolen checks made out in your name. You should also notify your bank of any stolen checks, and should promptly report any incident of forgery.

    • CheckRite: (800) 766-2748
    • ChexSystems:- (800) 428-9623
    • CrossCheck: (800) 552-1900
    • Equifax: (800) 437-5120
    • National Processing Co. (NPC): (800) 526-5380
    • SCAN: (800) 262-7771
    • TeleCheck: (800) 710-9898

Close Unauthorized Accounts: Close all accounts which you know the credit thief has opened using your name or personal information. (The FTC provides an ID Theft Affidavit for use when disputing new unauthorized accounts.)

Close Or Secure Compromised Accounts: Close all accounts or change account numbers for any accounts the identity thief has accessed or may be able to access. Change the PIN codes and passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised.

Report Your Stolen Driver's License: If your driver's license is stolen, make sure you mention that in the police report and when you apply for a replacement license. Otherwise, if somebody uses your identification when dealing with the police, you might find yourself arrested on a bench warrant for somebody else's unpaid traffic fines or criminal conduct.

Notify Banks and Creditors: Contact your banks and creditors, by phone and in writing, and report the incident. Request that they flag your accounts and notify you of any unusual account activity.

Keep Good Records: Keep records of all contacts you make, and copies of any letters you send or receive, in relation to the identity theft. If you later have a problem with somebody you informed of the incident, good records will often help you resolve the problem.

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