What Do I Do if My Identity if Stolen?

Find Out What's In Your Credit Report

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If you find yourself in the unenviable position of being a victim of identity theft, you must do the following as soon as possible to minimize the damage: First and foremost, document, document, document! Write down everything you do in your campaign to remedy the problem -- names of individuals/companies with whom you speak, dates and times of your conversations, summaries of you discussions, plans of action agreed on, etc. Now, here are the people you should contact:

  1. Law Enforcement
    Notify your local police, file a complaint and get an official police report; you will need this when attempting to prove to others a crime has been committed. You can file an FTC fraud affidavit at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf. You should also log onto www.ftc.gov/idtheft or call the FTC (800-438-4338/ 800-ID-THEFT) for additional information. If the fraud involved the mail, notify your local post office -- they can trace where the bad guys are diverting your mail. If your driver license was stolen, go immediately to the Department of Motor Vehicles, and get a new license and number; this way, your stolen license will come up as invalid if anyone attempts to use it;

  2. Credit Bureaus
    Contact the fraud units for each of the three bureaus (Experian: www.experian.com or 888-397-3742; Equifax: www.equifax.com or 800-525-6285; and TransUnion: www.transunion.com or 800-680-7289). Ask that a "fraud alert" be placed on your account. Request a free copy of your credit report; after reading the report, send a dispute letter regarding all fraudulent activity, along with your police report and FTC Fraud Affidavit, to the credit bureau. Ask the bureau for contact information of the creditors with whom fraudulent accounts have been opened. Make sure to place a "Security Freeze" on all three of your credit reports. Last, consider subscribing to a credit monitoring service, such as www.freecreditreportsinstantly.com -- that way, as new fraudulent accounts show up (which is very possible), you can dispute them too;

  3. Creditors (new and existing accounts)
    Send your fraud affidavits to your creditors, and ask them to send you any records documenting fraud on your affected accounts, including applications and transaction data. Next, get replacement credit cards and numbers. Specify the creditor put "accounts closed at customer's request," not "lost or stolen," on your credit report. You should also request creditors add security passwords to your accounts, so thieves can't just pick right up where they left off;

  4. Debt Collectors
    If you have accounts that have gone to collections as a result of identity theft, be very careful. First, make certain to document the name, date and time for each person with whom you speak; tell them you are keeping a log. Inform them you are an ID theft victim, and ask for the name and contact information of the referring credit issuer (be ready to provide your police report/FTC Fraud Affidavit). Follow up with a letter to the original creditor, stating you do not owe the debt, and that the account is fraudulent. Request written confirmation that the account is being closed and noted as fraudulent, and that any and all reference to the debt will be removed from your credit report. This is very important: Don't give in! You are not required to pay for any debt you did not incur -- don't let anyone tell you otherwise;

  5. Banks
    If the criminals used your checks as part of their thievery, put a "stop payment" on them. Notify the bank of the fraud, cancel your checking and savings accounts, and get new account numbers. Putting a security password on your bank accounts is also helpful. While you're at it, cancel your ATM cards and change your PIN. Next, be sure to notify the check-verification companies, such as TeleCheck (www.telecheck.com or 800-710-9898) or Certigy/Equifax (www.certigy.com (800-437-5120), about the fraud.

Remember, be very, very patient. With all the people who need to be notified about (and convinced of) your identity being stolen, straightening everything out will take time -- a lot of time. For some, it has taken over three years to wade through the mine field that is identity theft.

Throughout this painful journey, don't forget to take care of yourself. Whether it's talking to someone, enjoying your favorite hobbies, or just relaxing -- Don't Stop Living! Staying mentally and physically fit during such trying times is crucial. You may want to consider contacting Victims Assistance of America (www.victimassistanceofamerica.org/index2.cfm) for additional guidance. Picking up the pieces after becoming an ID theft victim is difficult; but, with diligence and perseverance, you will emerge whole again.