What You Can Do If You Are A Victim Of Identity Theft

What are the first steps I should take if I'm a victim of identity theft?

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four steps as soon as possible, and keep a record with the items of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.

Place a "fraud alert" on your credit reports and review your credit reports.

Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name. Contact the toll-free fraud number of any of the three consumer reporting companies below to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three firms to put an alert. The firm you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; 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 four digits of your Social Security number will appear on your credit reports. Once you receive your credit reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain. Check that information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers are correct. If you find fraudulent or inaccurate information, get it removed. Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year after you discover the identity theft, to make sure no new unlawful activity has occurred.

What is a fraud alert?

There are two types of fraud alerts: an initial alert and an extended alert.

• 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 report if you suspect you have been, or are about to be, a victim of identity theft. An initial alert is appropriate if your wallet has been stolen or if you've been taken in by a "phishing" scam. When you place an initial fraud alert on your credit report, you're entitled to one free credit report from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies.

• An extended alert stays on your credit report for seven years. You can have an extended alert placed on your credit report if you've been a victim of identity theft and you provide the consumer reporting company with an "identity theft report." When you place an extended alert on your credit report, you're entitled to two free credit reports within twelve months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. In addition, the consumer reporting companies will remove your name from marketing lists for pre-screened credit offers for five years unless you ask them to put your name back on the list before then.

To place either of these alerts on your credit report or to have them removed, you will be required to provide appropriate proof of your identity: that may include your Social Security number, name, address and other personal information requested by the consumer reporting company. If you have questions about the process, a qualified credit repair company may be able to assist you.

When a business sees the alert on your credit report, they must verify your identity before issuing you credit. As part of this verification process, the business may try to contact you directly. This may cause some delays if you're trying to obtain credit. To compensate for possible delays, you may wish to include a cell phone number, where you can be reached easily, in your alert. Remember to keep all contact information in your alert current.

What is an identity theft report?

An identity theft report may have two parts:

Part One is a copy of a report filed with a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, like your local police department, your State Attorney General, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the FTC, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. There is no federal law requiring a federal agency to take a report about identity theft; however, some state laws require local police departments to take reports. When you file a report, provide as much information as you can about the crime, including anything you know about the dates of the identity theft, the fraudulent accounts opened and the alleged identity thief.

Part Two of an identity theft report depends on the policies of the consumer reporting company and the information provider (the business that sent the information to the consumer reporting company). That is, they may ask you to provide information or documentation in addition to that included in the law enforcement report which is reasonably intended to verify your identity theft. They must make their request within 15 days of receiving your law enforcement report or, if you already obtained an extended fraud alert on your credit report, the date you submit your request to the credit reporting company for information blocking.

The consumer reporting company and information provider then have 15 more days to work with you to make sure your identity theft report contains everything they need. They are entitled to 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 not have to make a final decision until 16 days after they asked you for that information. If you give them any information after the 15-day deadline, they can reject your identity theft report as incomplete; you will have to resubmit your identity theft report with the correct information.

You may find that most federal and state agencies, and some local police departments, offer only "automated" reports, reports that do not require a face-to-face meeting with a law enforcement officer. Automated reports may be submitted online, or by telephone or mail. If you have a choice, do not use an automated report. Why? It's more difficult for the consumer reporting company or information provider to verify the information. Unless you are asking a consumer reporting company to place an extended fraud alert on your credit report, you probably will have to provide additional information or documentation when you use an automated report.

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 each company. Follow up in writing, and include copies (NOT originals) of supporting documents. It's important to notify credit card companies and banks in writing. Send your letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the company received and when. 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 like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.

If the identity thief has made charges or debits on your accounts, or on fraudulently opened accounts, ask the company for the forms to dispute those transactions:

• For charges and debits on existing accounts, ask the representative to send you the company's fraud dispute forms. If the company doesn't have special forms, use the sample letter to dispute the fraudulent charges or debits. In either case, write to the company at the address given for "billing inquiries," NOT the address for sending your payments.

Once you have resolved your identity theft dispute with the company, ask for a letter stating that the company has closed the disputed accounts and has discharged the fraudulent debts. This letter is your best proof if errors relating to this account reappear on your credit report or you are contacted again about the fraudulent debt.

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 number of the report. It can help you deal with creditors who need proof of the crime. If the police are reluctant to take your report, ask to file a "Miscellaneous Incidents" report, or try another jurisdiction, like your state police. You also can check with your state Attorney General's office to find out if state law requires the police to take reports for identity theft.

What do I do if the local police won't take a report?

There are efforts at the federal, state and local level to ensure that local law enforcement agencies understand identity theft, its impact on victims, and the importance of taking a police report. However, we still hear that some departments are not taking reports. The following tips may help you to get a report if you're having difficulties:

• Furnish as much documentation as you can to prove your case. Debt collection letters, credit reports and other evidence of fraudulent activity can help demonstrate the seriousness of your case.

• Be persistent if local authorities have told you that they can't take a report. Stress the importance of a police report; many creditors require one to resolve your dispute. Remind them that consumer reporting companies will automatically block the fraudulent accounts and bad debts from appearing on your credit report, but only if you can give them a copy of the police report.

• If you're told that identity theft is not a crime under your state law, ask to file a Miscellaneous Incident Report instead.

• If you can't get the local police to take a report, try your county police. If that doesn't work, try your state police.

Contributor: Terry Cordell
Mr. Cordell is an attorney and consumer credit advocate. He founded Ovation Credit Services in 2004. Ovation Credit Services has helped more than twenty thousand consumers resolve credit profile issues and regain their financial independence

Fixing Identity Theft Can Be Very Frustrating

The following true story regarding identity theft points out an example why it is so important to get a copy of your credit report at least once a year. I know it's all real, because it's someone else's credit that is being destroyed, right in front of my face. I've carried out everything possible to help, all to no avail.

Here's how it started. About 3 months ago, I started receiving credit card offers for a person that lived at my address 8 years ago. I thought it strange and had some questions regarding how this had just started up, but I just threw the credit card offers away.

Then two months ago, I started to receive paperwork from a welfare type of health agency. Pondering what it was all about, I opened the letters to see if I could fix the problem and get that info to the right person. It turns out a letter stated that "they were trying to get more information regarding the insurance benefits that were recently applied for." Right away, I knew it was someone trying to cheat the system that our taxes pay for.

I notified the police and an officer showed up quickly. I gave him some of the credit card offers and one of the insurance letters. He gave me a case number and his name, in case anyone needed to call him. I also went to the FTC website and filled out the form and I went to the Direct Marketing Association and filled out their form to stop any mail offers to this other person at my address. I haven't heard a word back, but I continue to get the letters about insurance and a delinquent loan.

So I called the department that handles this "free" insurance (the insurance that all the rest of us pay for). I was predicting that after I told them it was a case of "identity theft," they'd do something right away, but they merely didn't care. Their response was, "well we will just get in touch with them at this other address we have." I was expecting that the government office would immediately cut off benefits to this phony person, but instead they just wanted to find a way to continue the benefits flowing no matter what. So someone that is using a different person's name (and that other person's actual social security number) is receiving benefits free and clear from the government, all benefits that the rest of us pay for.

And yesterday, I got a notice from a bill collector in New York. They were collecting on an unpaid debt from Bank One, and of course it was in the name of the identity theft victim. I knew for sure that when I called and told them it was an identity theft scam, that they'd want the police case number and then they'd go after the "fake" person. Instead, they did not want any information about the identity theft, but said they would find the "right" person with the social security number and get their money from them that way. Imagine the surprise of the person who is having someone else use their social security number. I have a feeling that many more of those types of collection letters will be coming to my address.

My frustration stems from the fact that I've done everything I could think of to help someone else who hadn't even lived at my address for 8 years. I have no way of getting a hold of this person or I would have told him as soon as I discovered the identity theft matter. This person is not aware that someone else is using their name, their previous address and their social secuity number. When the victim applies for credit or for a job, he's going to be in for a "shock" when he gets declined because of several bad debts that were never his.

That's why each of us should check our credit report and look for any suspicious activity. We all have past addresses and if someone gets our past address and social security number, we may not ever hear anything about it, until it's too late. With credit, if you catch a problem early, the credit report can be corrected and the identity thief will just move on to someone else. If not caught early, there could be several items of someone else's derogatory credit to fix on our report, and it can be costly in terms of time and money.

It is my hope that by providing this information, that someone else may benefit and not have to go through extensive identity theft correction. I also want to improve awareness that all those welfare programs we pay for are being used by people who are not who they say they are (and the welfare office here doesn't seem to be concerned).

Contributor: Jessica Deets
Jessica Deets writes about information of interest to help people. There's more news and information about identity theft at the website at http://www.BestIDTheftNews.com

Statistics Of Identity Theft: Numbers Tell It All

Identity theft has risen from 4.2 million to 6-7 million cases throughout the last 5 years in which ecommerce has grown over the Internet. Potential victims are unaware of the thieves' intentions until they receive their credit reports and make their claims. Statistics of identity theft are approaching alarming numbers as thieves use more complex scams to handle others' information. It may include creating phony web pages and replaying server directors to send potential victims to their sites to enter their information. How can this be occurring so easily in the new, advanced society? Apparently the internet opened the door most identity thieves have been waiting for years.

E-Commerce
The first cases of identity theft popped up once the internet created a sweeping presence in the business markets. Identity thieves created ways to pop up in IPO servers to gather some information from listing companies. These identity thieves create phony business accounts under previous victims to gather intelligence on future victims. With the phony business accounts available, the listing companies gave away the information to numerous identity thieves which increased the identity theft statistics around the globe. The numbers continue to climb at this moment because many victims are unaware of their information being mishandled by the companies. Privacy Act laws made it clear that companies must keep information confidential.

Chaotic Results
Highest rank in cases regarding identity theft occur offline because of the misuse of information. The statistics of identity theft are not surprising due to the thieves walking around preying on innocents as if it were a game. Out of the most degrading acts of identity theft are the friendly hellos in which identity thieves offer to help the elderly with house chores to handle their financial conditions. These individuals are not aware that the friendly hand that was offered to them is being used to take their savings or spending their social security checks in the wrong way.

Protect Your Identity
Many of the identity theft statistics have something to do with internet transactions in which the victims were unaware of their information being collected for malice reasons. Placing A firewall prevents illegal access to your personal network or computer. Generally, they assist in protection from spyware, adware, worms, Trojan viruses, and hackers. Please set your security levels at the highest possible to protect your vital information from spybots that will linger through your computer system. Your social security cards, birth certificates, and other certified documents should be placed in your safety deposit box. The bank's safe is more than enough to consider real security of your belongings. Help lower the identity theft statistics affecting numerous individuals across the globe.

About the Author:
http://www.identitytheftonthenet.com/stop-identity-theft.html

Why An Identity Theft Resource Center Is Right For You

With so many people out there just waiting to steal your financial information, it is no wonder that more and more people are starting to take advantage of their local identity theft resource center.

These places cannot only help you prevent identity theft but they can also help you report identity theft to the proper authorities. The identity theft resource center is something that everyone should consider looking into since id theft is happening on a daily basis.

Identity theft can ruin your credit and can cause you a lot of personal hardships until it all gets straightened out. This is why going through an identity theft resource center is so much better then trying to do it all on your own.

An identity theft resource center would be able to spot unauthorized activity on your credit report a lot faster then you ever could because of the computer technology that they have. Of course, you could always try to do it yourself but you will not be able to watch your reports as closely as an identity theft resource center.

Simple To Get Started

While it may seem like a complicated system, getting started with an identity theft resource center is actually very simple. All you have to do is find a company that you know and trust and give them a call. Once they have all of the information they need from you, you simply sit back and enjoy life while they monitor everything for theft.

The identity theft resource center will automatically alert you upon finding something strange. Once it is determined that it is thief that is taking place, they can help you alert the proper authorities so action can be taken.

All you have to do is simply pay them a monthly fee for their services and the fees are generally not all that expensive. Of course, the exact amount you pay will vary from one identity theft resource center to another but they are all still pretty reasonable in price.

And for the comfort and peace of mind that comes along with having an identity theft resource center on your side, the money is surely worth it. If you are still not sure, you should at least give it a try for a few months to see how you like it. If you are not satisfied you can always cancel their services and track your credit on your own.

About author: Bill Protresi
Bill Protresi is an online providing tips and advice. Visit Bill at his identity theft site at http://www.identitytheftcare.info/

14 Steps You Can Take To Prevent Identity Theft:

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, known commonly as FACTA, was put into law in the United States to help to protect consumers from identity theft and to help in its prevention. FACTA ensures that all citizens are treated fairly when they apply for a mortgage or other form of credit and it entitles them to a free annual credit report to verify its accuracy.

Becoming a major epidemic, Identity Theft occurs when a criminal uses another person's personal information to take on that person's identity. Identity theft includes the misuse of a Social Security number, credit cards, mail fraud, scam, schemes, frauds, or any other form of misuse or abuse of a victim's identity.

There is no guarantee that you will never be a victim; however, there are steps you can take to minimize your risk. Here is a list of 14 steps you can take to prevent or at least minimize its occurrence:

1. Manage your personal information cautiously and with a new awareness that identity theft can occur anytime anywhere and when you least expect it.

2. Ask about security procedures in your workplace, doctor's office, or other business or organization that routinely collects relevant and personal identifying information as part of doing business or providing a service. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that it is handled securely. Inquire about their disposal procedures and if your information will be shared with anyone else (namely third parties such as mailing list companies, marketing and survey companies, etc.).

3. Instead of giving your Social Security Number, inquire if you can use other types of identification. Use your Social Security Number with caution and only when absolutely necessary.

"Your Chances of becoming victimized by some form of identity theft is one in ten," according to the Federal Trade Commission.

4. If you find that you have been victimized, immediately file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint helps the FTC learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having. This knowledge helps them to assist you better.

5. Carry only the identification and the number of credit and debit cards that you will actually use. Leave extra cards in a safe place at home, in a safety deposit box, or any other secured location.

6. Avoid giving out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on the internet unless you are absolutely sure you know and can trust with whom you are communicating. Caution: Before you share personal information, be sure you are dealing with a legitimate business or organization. (If you are unsure about an online communication, check the organization's website by typing its URL in the address line. Most large companies post alerts on their sites when they are aware of a scam when their name is used improperly.)

Identity thieves usually pose as representatives of banks, lotteries, sweepstakes, internet service providers, or some other officially-sounding-entity. They will use any means possible to try to get you to reveal your valuable information.

7. Call the Customer Service Department of companies or organizations with whom you do business using the number listed on your account statement or in the telephone book.

8. Do not place passwords on your credit card, bank, or telephone accounts.

9. When choosing a password, avoid using obvious information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, a series of consecutive numbers, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number or your phone number.

10. Pay attention to your billing cycles. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has gotten their hands on it.

"9.9 million people were victims of identity theft in 2002", according to the Federal Trade Commission. Don't wait until it happens to you.

11. Be wary of promotional scams or phony offers to get you to give them your personal information such as lottery and sweepstakes' that you have never entered and ones asking for an "administration" fee.

12. If your job requires you to suit up in special clothing at work, never leave your purse or wallet in your personal clothes. Always keep them in a safe and secured place.

13. When reordering checks, pick them up at the bank instead of having them sent to your mailbox.

14. Obtain a current credit report by contacting any of these major credit bureaus:

Equifax: P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
For Fraud Alerts, call: 800-525-6285

Experian: P.O. Box 2002 Allen TX 75013
For Fraud Alerts, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

Trans Union: P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022
For Fraud Alerts, call: 800-680-7289

Think you're not at risk? Unfortunately, you are. View "Protecting Your Identity" blog at www.ProtectingYourIdentity.blogspot.com to learn more about what you can do to protect yours.

About the Author:

Known as The Master Blog Builder, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, is in the business of helping small business owners and non-profit organizations improve their customer relationship marketing. Often he comes across cases that are red flags calling identity thieves to come in. Hence, he started the "Protecting Your Identity" blog. Contact him at: www.MasterBlogBuilder.com