Fraud Alert and Credit Freeze

• When your Social Security number has been used by someone else to open credit, the first thing you should do is place a fraud alert on your credit reports with the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, you do not need to contact all three agencies. As soon as you notify one agency, it will notify the other two, which will also place fraud alerts on your credit report. You should also place a credit freeze on your file, which will prevent any creditor from obtaining information or opening new credit in your name unless you lift the freeze.
  
  TransUnion
  
  Fraud Victim Assistance Division
  
  P.O. Box 6790
  
  Fullerton, CA 92834
  
  800-680-7289
  
  www.transunion.com
  
  Equifax
  
  P.O. Box 740241
  
  Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
  
  800-525-6285
  
  www.equifax.com
  
  Experian
  
  P.O. Box 9554
  
  Allen, TX 75013
  
  888-397-3742
  
  www.experian.com
  
  

Credit File

• When you place a fraud alert in your file, you are entitled to order one free copy of your credit report from each agency. These reports will list inquiries from creditors as well as all accounts that have been reported. Look for any kind of activity, including inquiries you have not authorized, accounts you did not open, and debts you did not incur. Send each of the reporting agencies a copy of you Identity Theft Report from the police, along with a letter explaining the fraudulent information. You should request new credit reports three months after you submit the Identity Theft Report to verify that all fraudulent information has been removed.
  
  

Law Enforcement

• Identity theft is a crime, and it needs to be reported to the police as well as to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Secret Service, both of which focus on identity theft crimes. You must obtain an Identity Theft Report from the police before you can have fraudulent accounts and activity removed from your credit reports. You will also need to file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which will forward your complaint to one or more law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction. Simply reporting credit fraud over the phone to a company will not protect your rights. You should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC does not investigate credit fraud; however, it does provide helpful information for identity theft victims.
  
  

Accounts

• Once you have identified the fraudulent accounts on your credit report, you must act quickly to close them and notify the information provider or creditor of the fraud. It is important that the creditor stops reporting the fraudulent information to the credit reporting companies. Simply closing the accounts will not accomplish this objective. You will need to send the creditors a copy of your Identity Theft Report and a letter explaining that the information they are reporting is a result of identity theft. This action will protect you. Not only are they required to stop reporting the fraudulent activity, but they are prohibited from selling or transferring the debt to anyone else who may try to collect it. Your letter and theft report must be sent to the address indicated by the information provider. For your protection, it should also be sent via certified mail with a return receipt request. The creditor must receive your letter and theft report within 60 days after the first bill is mailed to you.
  
  

Social Security

• If someone has used your Social Security number, the Social Security Administration cannot resolve the problem for you. You must do all you can to remedy the situation. If you have done all you can and are still being victimized, you may receive a new number. New numbers are not issued unless there is evidence that someone is using your Social Security number. A new number may not remedy your problems because it will be tied to your previous credit.
  
  

Considerations

• As a victim of identity theft, there is the possibility that criminal violations may be attributed to your name. There may be a warrant for your arrest, and you could be arrested. If this happens, you need to file an impersonation report with the law enforcement agency or court that made the arrest or conviction. Once your identity is cleared, the law enforcement agency should recall warrants and issue a clearance letter or certificate of release. You should also notify the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of the identity theft if your state uses Social Security numbers as driver's license numbers. It is imperative that you keep a written record and copies of everything you do, calls you make, letters you send, and complaints you make during this entire process.