Recovering From Identity Theft? 4 steps To take if A victim of identity theft?

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Take steps to respond to and recover from identity theft as soon as
you suspect it.

What are the steps I should take if I'm a victim of identity theft?

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four
steps as soon as possible, and keep a record with the details of
your conversations and copies of all correspondence.

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your
credit reports.

Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any
more accounts in your name. Contact the toll-free fraud number of
any of the three consumer reporting companies below to place a
fraud alert on your credit report. If you do not receive a
confirmation from the company, you should contact that company
directly to place a fraud alert.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta,
GA 30374-0241

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) P.O. Box
9532, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289, Fraud Victim
Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Once you place the fraud alert in your file, you're entitled to
order one free copy of your credit report from each of the three
consumer reporting companies. Once you get your credit reports,
review them carefully. Look for inquiries from companies you
haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your
accounts that you can't explain. Check that information, like your
Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and
employers are correct. If you find fraudulent or inaccurate
information, get it removed. When you correct your credit report,
use an Identity Theft Report with a cover letter explaining your
request, to get the fastest and most complete results. Continue to
check your credit reports periodically,

2. Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered
with or opened fraudulently.

Call and speak with someone in the security or fraud department of
each company. Follow up in writing, and include copies (NOT
originals) of supporting documents. It's important to notify credit
card companies and banks in writing. Send your letters by certified
mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the
company received and when. Keep a file of your correspondence and
enclosures.

When you open new accounts, use new Personal Identification Numbers
(PINs) and passwords. Avoid using easily available information like
your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of
your Social Security number or your phone number, or a series of
consecutive numbers.

If the identity thief has made charges or debits on your accounts,
or has fraudulently opened accounts, ask the company for the forms
to dispute those transactions:

For charges and debits on existing accounts, ask the
representative to send you the company's fraud dispute forms. If
the company doesn't have special forms, use the sample letter to
dispute the fraudulent charges or debits. In either case, write to
the company at the address given for "billing inquiries," NOT the
address for sending your payments.

* For new unauthorized accounts, you can either file a dispute
directly with the company or file a report with the police and
provide a copy, called an “Identity Theft Report,” to the company.

If you want to file a dispute directly with the company, and do
not want to file a report with the police, ask if the company
accepts the FTC’s ID Theft Affidavit (PDF, 56 KB). If it does not,
ask the representative to send you the company's fraud dispute forms.

However, filing a report with the police and then
providing the company with an Identity Theft Report will give you
greater protection. For example, if the company has already
reported these unauthorized accounts or debts on your credit
report, an Identity Theft Report will require them to stop
reporting that fraudulent information. Use the cover letter to
explain to the company the rights you have by using the Identity
Theft Report. More information about getting and using an Identity
Theft Report can be found here.

Once you have resolved your identity theft dispute with the
company, ask for a letter stating that the company has closed the
disputed accounts and has discharged the fraudulent debts. This
letter is your best proof if errors relating to this account
reappear on your credit report or you are contacted again about the
fraudulent debt.

3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint
form; or call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free:
1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write Identity
Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Be sure to call the Hotline to
update your complaint if you have any additional information or
problems.

By sharing your identity theft complaint with the FTC, you will
provide important information that can help law enforcement
officials across the nation track down identity thieves and stop
them. The FTC can refer victims' complaints to other government
agencies and companies for further action, as well as investigate
companies for violations of laws the agency enforces.

Additionally, you can provide a printed copy of your online
Complaint form to the police to incorporate into their police
report. The printed FTC ID Theft Complaint, in conjunction with
the police report, can constitute an Identity Theft Report and
entitle you to certain protections. This Identity Theft Report can
be used to (1) permanently block fraudulent information from
appearing on your credit report; (2) ensure that debts do not
reappear on your credit report; (3) prevent a company from
continuing to collect debts that result from identity theft; and
(4) place an extended fraud alert on your credit report.

4. File a report with your local police or the police in the
community where the identity theft took place.

Call your local police department and tell them that you want to
file a report about your identity theft. Ask them if you can file
the report in person. If you cannot, ask if you can file a report
over the Internet or telephone. See below for information about
Automated Reports.
If the police are reluctant to take your report, ask to file a
"Miscellaneous Incident" report, or try another jurisdiction, like
your state police. You also can check with your state Attorney
General's office to find out if state law requires the police to
take reports for identity theft. Check the Blue Pages of your
telephone directory for the phone number or check www.naag.org for
a list of state Attorneys General.

When you go to your local police department to file your report,
bring a printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form, your
cover letter, and your supporting documentation. The cover letter
explains why a police report and an ID Theft Complaint are so
important to victims.

Ask the officer to attach or incorporate the ID Theft Complaint
into their police report. Tell them that you need a copy of the
Identity Theft Report to dispute the fraudulent accounts and debts
created by the identity thief.