My Identity has been stolen, what can I do?

Identity Theft is when someone obtains a person’s identifying information, such as name, address, date of birth, social security number or mother’s maiden name. Using this information illegally, an imposter can open new credit card accounts, drain your bank accounts, purchase automobiles, apply for loans and open utility services and on and on. No matter how cautious you are, you cannot guarantee that a criminal will not obtain your information.

Call and make a report with the police department.

Notify all your creditors and financial institutions in writing and by phone that your name and accounts have been used without your permission. Ask for new cards and account numbers.

Report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-IDTHEFT, they collect complaints about ID thefts and are available to law Enforcement agencies.

Contact the fraud units of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax 1-800-525-6285; Experian 1-888-397-3742; Trans Union 1-800-680-7289. Ask them to place a fraud alert on your credit report to help prevent new fraudulent accounts from being opened. As an ID fraud victim, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report.

If your bank accounts have been tampered with, close those accounts, destroy any checks and cut up any ATM cards. Ask for password protection when opening new accounts.

If your checks have been stolen or misused, stop payments on all checks. Open a new account and reissue checks to legitimate creditors. Ask your bank to notify its verification company to stop giving approval for any of the stolen checks.

Check your credit report every six months for several years after your identity was stolen.

Stop into the Police Department during normal business hours for free pamphlets for additional information and steps how to prevent Identity Theft.