What to do if you suspect you've been a victim of identity theft
If you get suspicious bills or phone calls from creditors about unknown debts, you may have been the victim of identity theft. By all counts it is a terrible experience, and many victims have described the profound sense of violation that often accompanies identity theft.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that you almost certainly won't be held responsible for any of the debt incurred as a result of identity theft. This is fraud, and our laws put that burden squarely on the creditors' shoulders. But, you can also expect a long and painful experience getting it all straightened out.
Once you know that you're a victim of identity theft, the first thing to do is call the police and file a report. Make sure to ask for a copy of the police report, as you'll need this in your dealings with banks, credit card companies and credit bureaus.
Next on the list should be to call all your credit card companies and explain the situation, and close your existing accounts and open new ones. The same should be done with your bank accounts.
Now call the fraud departments of the three main credit bureaus in this country, Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. Explain the situation to them, and ask for your account to be flagged with a fraud or security alert. Ask for them to call you explicitly to verify any future credit requests; they will be glad to help with this.
The FTC recommends that you check your credit report annually with all of these companies, which can be done online for around US$8 each.
If someone has been using your driver's license number you should request a new number and license from your DMV. They'll need to see the police report as well. If your social security number has been fraudulently used you can also request a new number from your local office of the Social Security Administration.
A couple of other numbers that you may want to call are the Social Security Administration's Fraud Hotline and the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Hotline.
Hi,
Great site, very inforrmative. But . . . .
If this is an Australian site, why are all your examples American.
What Australian agencies and credit bureaus should be contacted when id stolen?
Regards,
Ross