Although the focus of this course is prevention, there’s no guarantee that you’ll never have to deal with identity theft. That’s why we’ve dedicated this lesson to reacting to identity theft, even though we hope you’ll never need it.
You can put a fraud alert on your credit report by calling the 800 number for one of the three major credit bureaus, listed below. Once the credit bureau has confirmed your fraud alert, it will contact the two other major agencies, and your credit report(s) will be mailed to you free of charge. It’s a good idea to put your fraud alert in writing, as well.
Equifax
To report fraud, call 1-800-6285, and write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian
To report fraud, call 1-800-397-3742, and write: P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion
To report fraud, call 1-800-680-7289, and write: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Once you receive copies of your reports, be sure to look through them carefully and note any accounts you didn’t open or late fees or charges on active accounts that you didn’t make.
Also make sure that your personal identifying information (name, address, SSN, employers) is correct. Any errors should be reported in writing, as soon as possible, to the credit bureau. Then, review your credit reports periodically to make sure that no further fraudulent or incorrect activity has been reported. Orders for additional reports need to be made to each individual credit bureau.
1) Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. This includes credit cards, banking accounts, utility accounts, cell phone accounts, internet providers . . . anything you can think of. If your ATM card has been lost, stolen, or tampered with, be sure to cancel your old card and get a new one with a different PIN number.
2) If you’ve discovered that your checking account has been tampered with, there are some additional steps you’ll need to take. Contact each of these check verification companies:
TeleCheck
1-800-710-9898
Certegy, Inc.
1-800-437-5120
International Check Services
1-800-631-9656
You may also call SCAN at 1-800-262-7771 to find out whether the thief has been writing bad checks in your name.
3) File a report with your local police or the police department where the identity theft took place. You’ll probably need a copy of the report when proving the theft to creditors.
4) File a complaint with the FTC. This will help law enforcement and government agencies track down the thief, and it may also prevent the thief from victimizing someone else. To file a complaint or to learn more, call 1-877-438-4338 or visit the FTC online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
Of course, you’ll have to stay on top of the situation to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. In the next lesson, you’ll find steps you can take immediately to protect yourself from identity theft. “See” you in two days for that all-important class!
