What You Should Do If You're a Victim of Identity Theft
If you get a notice in the mail that your personal information may have been compromised,
or if you believe someone got access to your personal information, acting quickly can reduce
the potential for the theft of your identity.
If the stolen information includes your credit cards or bank accounts, contact the institution
about closing the accounts immediately or change your passwords and having them monitor for
possible fraud. Use strong passwords on any new accounts.
If the stolen information includes your Social Security number, call one of any one of the
three nationwide consumer reporting companies and place an initial fraud alert on your credit
reports. This alert will help stop a thief from opening new credit accounts in your name.
The initial fraud alert will stay on your credit report for 90 days. When you place this
alert you'll get information about ordering one free credit report from each of the companies.
It makes sense to wait 30 days after your information was stolen before you order your report.
It may take a few weeks for suspicious activity to show up. Once you get your reports, review
it for suspicious activity, such as credit cards or loans that you didn’t apply for,
inquiries from companies you didn't contact, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain.
Check that you personal information is correct.
If the stolen information includes your driver's license or other ID, contact the agency
that issued the document, cancel the stolen document and request a replacement. You
can also ask the agency to "flag" your name to prevent anyone from obtaining a
document in your name.
Once you've taken these precautions, watch for signs that your information is being misused.
Continue to read your financial statements in a timely fashion, and to review your credit
reports every few months in the first year of the theft, and once a year afterward.
If your information has been misused, file a report with the police, and file a complaint
with the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
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