Contacting the Proper Authorities When Your Identity Has Been Stolen
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Contacting the Proper Authorities When Your Identity Has Been Stolen
The police
Fill out a police report, and include as many details as you can. Make several copies of the report if you are allowed, because you will need them to support your correspondence with creditors and businesses. If the local police won’t help you, file a report with the state police or the state attorney general’s office.
Things To Know
- Fill out a police report.
- Contact parties in any area in which your identity has been compromised.
If a criminal conviction or arrest shows up on your criminal record fraudulently, you can contact your sheriff or police department and fill out a police report (impersonation report). You can ask them to take your fingerprints and photograph and compare them to those of the impersonator. You can also contact your county’s district attorney to clear your name from court records.
The Post Office
Identity theft can involve the mail, too. Thieves can change your address or get your mail forwarded to them. If you suspect this, contact your local post office.
The Social Security Administration
Your Social Security number is your most valuable asset for an identity thief to steal. If you believe it has been stolen and used to get unauthorized government benefits, contact the Social Security Administration’s inspector general at http://oig.ssa.gov/ or 1-800-269-0271. Its Website has an online fraud reporting page.
You aren’t done there. You should also get a copy of your Social Security Earnings and Benefit Statement. Check it for any reported earnings that are not yours.
The US State Department
Identity thieves steal passports, too. If you believe yours has been stolen, contact the US Department of State at 877-487-2778 or www.travel.state.gov.
Department of Motor Vehicles
Fill out a complaint form if you discover that your driver’s license number is being used fraudulently. Ask for a fraud alert to be put on your license, and ask for a new license number.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
In addition to filling out an ID theft affidavit with the FTC, you can also fill out a complaint form. Though doing so cannot help you much individually, it can help police locate identity thieves and bring them in. The form can be accessed at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. You can also call the FTC at 877-438-4338.
Investment fraud
Identity thieves can hit investment accounts. If you believe that this has happened to you, you can file a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml. Or you can write to it at SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549-5990. You might also contact regulators in your state. A list of them is available here.
Phone fraud
ID thieves may set up phone service in your name and rack up bills. You can contact your phone company and cancel your account and set up a new one. If you are having difficulty working with your phone company, contact your state’s Public Utility Commission (for local service issues) and the Federal Communications Commission (for long-distance).
Student loan fraud
Report fraudulent loans that are in your name to both the school/program and the Department of Education. The Department of Education can be reached at 1-800-MIS-USED and here.