Report Identity Theft
It is estimated that 15% of identity theft victims find out
they are
victims by being contacted by their bank or credit card company who has
noticed suspicious activity. Oftentimes, this means its fairly late in
the process. Unfortunately, by then some irreversible damage has been
done.
To avoid this, you should check your credit statements as soon as they come in. If you lost your wallet or cannot find sensitive information, you should cancel your credit cards asap. It is safer than waiting around, hoping they'll turn up.
If you already suspect you were a victim of identity theft, than you should check in with idtheftcenter.org, which is a non-profit organization which offers many resources to help you recover from id theft. The resources have everything from the current laws and resources in your particular state to advice on how to handle each step of your situation.
You should also notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling them at this toll-free number: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. You should also call the hotline to update your complaint if you have any additional information or problems.
After you obtain a copy of your FTC complaint form and any
other
supporting documents, you should go to your local police and file it
with them in person. If they will not allow you to file it in person,
than ask if you can over the internet or telephone. Sometimes
local police departments are reluctant to take reports for identity
theft. If that happens, you can either file it with the state police or
check with your state's Attorney General's office to find out, if
indeed, your local police are obligated under law to file your
complaint. You can find a list of state Attorney
Generals'
at naag.org.
The best thing to do is use idtheftcenter.org
to educate yourself now instead of only after you are a victim. This
way you will learn tips on how to prevent identity theft from ever
occurring in the first place.
You can find out more about accessing your credit reports in this article.
