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What Should I do if I Become a Victim of Identity Theft
Card Consolidation Credit Debt 1. Contact any of the three major credit bureaus. Speak to someone in the fraud department and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two will automatically place one on your report as well. With a fraud alert in place, creditors must contact you before opening any new accounts in your name or changing any details of your existing accounts.
Unused credit cards are putting millions of Brits at greater risk of falling victim to identity theft, according to a specialist credit history firm.
Credit Union Then request a free copy of your credit report from each one. Review all of your credit information looking for unauthorized accounts, charges, or changes. Check the accuracy of your name, address, phone number, Social Security number (SSN), past employers, and any other personal information. Request any inaccuracies be corrected by notifying the bureaus by phone and follow up in writing by using certified mail, return receipt requested, so you will have documentation of all requests and responses by the bureaus. The addresses for each bureau are listed at the end of this article.
(Scottsdale, Ariz.) % In the aftermath of the Gulf Coast tragedy, many of Katrina%š victims are dealing with the myriad of problems associated with their identity and credit, as they become easy targets for identity thieves. Beginning on Monday, LifeLock, the country%š first and only preventative identity theft solution, will provide all victims of Katrina the tools they need to protect their identities and preserve their credit standing. The service is free to any victim and comes with no obligation.}}
Merchant Credit Guide Co Continue to check your reports every few months, especially in the first year after you have lost your personal information.
Identity Theft is when someone uses someone else’s personal identifying information for illegal purposes. or obtaining credit in the victim’s name. ID Theft can be as simple as illegally using another’s credit card for fraudulent purchases, or it can be more complex where the Identity Thief uses another’s personal information to apply for and obtain new credit, for example, for a new credit card or home loan. Unfortunately the illegal purpose may be committed over long periods of time before the victim even discovers the fraud.
Apply Online For Credit Card 2. Contact the creditors for the accounts that have been altered or opened without your permission. This includes bank accounts, credit card companies, lenders, utilities, phone companies, Internet service providers, and any other services that may be opened fraudulently. Contact the company's fraud department b phone and follow up with a letter.
- Identity theft victims now spend an average of 600 hours recovering from ID theft, often over a period of years, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (IRTC). Three years ago, the average recovery time spent was 175 hours.*
- Based on 600 hours multiplied by the indicated identity theft victim's wages, this equals nearly $16, 000 in lost potential or realized income.*
- Victims spend an average of $1, pocket expenses, an increase of 85% from previous studies.*
- Law enforcement figures indicate that the average arrest rate for ID theft crimes is under 5% of all reported cases by victims.*
- Nearly 85% of all victims find out about their Identity theft case in a negative manner (for example, being denied credit or loan applications, finding unauthorized charges on credit card accounts, etc.).
That works out to 19, 178 victims per day, 799 per hour, 13.3 per minute.*
By Card Credit Debt Debt Guide The FTC offers the "ID Theft Affidavit" to dispute new accounts, available at www.ftc.gov
The Identity Theft Resource Center (idtheftcenter.org) explains the various types of identity theft and what victims should do when their identity is stolen. In addition, based educational program last October to teach teenagers about identity theft and how they could make themselves less vulnerable. The site warns teenagers about putting information on blogs and social networking sites and provides details on reading a credit report and what they should do if they discover they are a victim.
Credit Repair If you suspect that a thief has been passing bad checks in your name, close the account immediately and notify your bank. Contact the major check verification services and ask that the retailers who use their databases stop accepting your checks for purchases. To find out if an identity thief has been writing checks in your name, call SCAN at 1-800-262-7771. The three major check verification services are:
Active Credit Credit Guide . TeleCheck - Call 1-800-710-9898 or 927-0188.
. Certegy, Inc. - Call 1-800-437-5120.
. International Check Services - Call 1-800-631-9656.
Credit Score
3. The third step to take if you believe you are a victim of identity theft is to file a police report. Request a copy of the report for your records and to send to creditors for verification of the crime. Unfortunately, 61% of victims in 2004 did not notify the police of identity theft crimes.
Bad Car Credit Guide Loan 4. Finally, file a complaint with the FTC to help law enforcement across the country track identity thieves and catch them. You will also be referred to other useful government agencies and consumer organizations to help you recover from identity theft. Contact the FTC in any of the following ways:
Bad Credit Loan . Call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338);
. Write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580;
. Or visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Credit Definition Derivative 5. If you have been turned down for a loan, lost a job, or possibly had to pay significantly more interest fees because damage to your credit score due to circumstances beyond your control, you may have a credit damage claim. Now with a newly developed process called Credit Damage Measurement, you can measure the financial loss you have sustained and as a result, receive fair compensation.
Bad Credit Mortgage These five steps should resolve most of your credit problems after becoming a victim of identity theft. However, stay alert for new occurrences. Review your credit report every year and report any problems to creditors immediately both by phone and in writing. With diligence and a little patience, you can recover your good name.
The Insider Guide To Credit As promised, here is the location and contact information for he three credit bureaus to report fraud:
Business Credit Card . Equifax - Call 1-800-525-6285; write P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241; or visit www.equifax.com
. Experian - Call 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); write P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013; or visit www.experian.com
. TransUnion - Call 1-800-680-7289; write Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790; or visit www.tuc.com
Banker Complete Credit Guide For more information, you can visit
Credit Card Application
About The Author:
Credit Guide Managing Cathy writes frequently on employment screening and background checks and more of her work can be found at http://www.apscreen.com
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