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If
you suspect that someone has used your name, Social Security
number, or other personal information to get credit or a loan,
the following steps can help. Because recovering from identity
theft can be a long and complicated process, it's important
to keep a record of all communications. Send all letters by
certified mail and keep copies. If you think your case might
lead to a lawsuit, keep track of how much time you spend dealing
with the problem.
Call
the police
Report the crime to the police or sheriff's department that
has jurisdiction in your case and request a police report.
Though the authorities are often unable to help, a report
may be necessary to help convince creditors that someone else
has opened an account in your name.
Check
your credit report
Get your credit report and check for any new accounts opened
in your name. Because new accounts may take up to six months
to show up on the report, continue to monitor your credit
regularly with our credit monitoring service. Call all three
credit bureaus and have them put a fraud alert on your file,
which will prevent new credit accounts from being opened without
your express permission. Below is contact information for
each credit bureau's fraud division:
Freeze
fraudulent accounts
Contact the appropriate creditors, banks, phone companies, and
utility companies and have them freeze the accounts. Depending
on your case, you may also need to contact one or more of the
following government bodies, each of which will inform you of
the necessary procedures:
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Equifax:
800/525-6285
P.O. Box 740250
Atlanta, GA 30374
Experian: 888/397-3742
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013
Trans
Union: 800/680-7289
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634 |
If
you suspect that someone has changed your address with the
post office or used the mail to commit identity theft, notify
the U.S. Postal Inspector.
If
your Social Security number has been used to commit identity
theft, call the Social Security Administration (800/772-1213).
You can order a copy of your earnings and benefits statement
to check whether someone has used your Social Security number
to get a job or avoid paying taxes.
If
your driver's license number has been used to open accounts
or verify checks, contact your state's Department of Motor
Vehicles.
Notify
the U.S. State Department's Passport Services Department
of the identity theft so that it can intercept anyone ordering
a new passport in your name.
File
a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by calling its
Identity Theft Hotline: 877/438-4338. The FTC does
not resolve individual consumer problems itself, but your
complaint may lead to law enforcement action.
Because
it can take new accounts up to six months to show up on your
credit report, it is especially important to continue monitoring
your credit file for signs of fraud.
Get
a free credit report today and make sure nobody else is
using your credit!
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