Front Range Financial Consulting

The first step is knowing what action to take

Many public and private agencies are working together to fight identity theft. By notifying them that you have been a victim, you help them track down the offenders.

• Notify affected businesses, such as banks, stores where you have accounts, and other credit issuers. Tell them what has happened, and close the accounts.
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 877-438-4338 for complete information about filing a complaint and taking other actions.
• Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus.
• Equifax: 800-525-6285
• Experian: 888-397-3742
• TransUnion: 800-680-7289

Ask one of the bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit report, which will help prevent new credit accounts from being opened without your express permission.

• Contact your local police and request a copy of your report.

Keep complete, accurate records of all the steps you take in reporting identity theft.
When you notify various businesses and agencies, do so both by phone and in writing. Include a date/time log of phone calls, including the names of people with whom you speak and what they tell you. Also keep copies of any correspondence, along with the names, phone numbers and addresses of anyone you contact. This will be extremely important if you have to prepare a case to recover damages.

Other steps:

• If your Social Security card has been stolen, contact the Social Security Administration for a replacement card.
• If the theft involves your mail, contact the Postal Inspection Service, the primary law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service.
• If your driver’s license has been stolen, contact the issuing office to cancel it and obtain a replacement.
• Check the Federal Trade Commission’s Web pages devoted to resolving specific problems—such as fraudulent bank withdrawals, misused credit cards, stolen Social Security numbers, mail theft, driver’s license theft, and others—for additional details about what to do.