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Basics Beginner: Responding to Identity Theft

Introduction to Responding to Identity Theft Steps to Take if Your Identity Has Been Stolen Dealing with Accounts That Have Been Used Fraudulently Contacting the Proper Authorities When Your Identity Has Been Stolen Cleaning Up Your Credit after Identity Theft Summary of Responding to Identity Theft
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Summary of Responding to Identity Theft

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Summary of Responding to Identity Theft

Many resources exist online to help you prevent, understand, and respond to identity theft. Two well-known ones are the Identity Theft Resource Center and the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft site. The FBI works with one at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

Practical Ideas I Can Start with Today

  • File a police report and fill out an ID theft affidavit and claim with the Federal Trade Commission.
  • Notify all my financial institutions and close any accounts that have been accessed fraudulently.
  • Access my credit report every year from www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Contact the local postal inspector to ensure that mail addressed to me is not being sent elsewhere.
  • Contact the Social Security Administration to determine if my Social Security number has been used to get benefits fraudulently.
  • Send debt collectors written disputes of any fraudulent credit activity, along with copies of my police report and ID affidavit.

What you have learned

  1. Steps to Take if Your Identity Has Been Stolen
  2. Dealing with Accounts That Have Been Used Fraudulently
  3. Contacting the Proper Authorities When Your Identity Has Been Stolen
  4. Cleaning Up Your Credit after Identity Theft

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