Finding Identity Scam Help
How to Find
Identity Scam Help
Here are some
important tips on how to Prevent Identity Scams, for shoppers and
merchants.
What should I do if
someone has stolen or
scammed my personal information or
identification documents
If your information
or identification documents were stolen or scammed, you have an
opportunity to prevent the misuse of that information if you can
take action quickly.
- For financial
account information such as credit card or bank account
information: Close those accounts immediately. When you open new
ones, place passwords on these accounts. Avoid using your mother?s
maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or
your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
- For SSNs: Call
the toll-free fraud number of any one of the
three major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on
your credit reports. This can help prevent an identity thief from
opening new credit accounts in your name. See
What are fraud alerts and victim statements?
- To replace an
SSN card: Call the Social Security Administration at
1-800-772-1213 to get a replacement.
- For driver's
license or other identification documents: Contact the issuing
agency. Follow their procedures to place fraud flags and to get
replacements.
Once you have taken
these precautions, there really isn't anything more you
need to do except to check for the signs
that your information is being misused. See
How can I tell if I'm a victim of identity theft?
and
Are
there any other steps I can take to make sure I'm not an identity
theft victim? You don't have to file an identity theft
report with the police or with the FTC until you find out if your
information is actually being misused. If another crime was
committed, such as theft of your purse or wallet or your house or
car was broken into, report that crime to the police.
Source: FTC
The FTC works for the
consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business
practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help
consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get
free information on
consumer issues, visit
www.ftc.gov or call
toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The
FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other
fraud-related complaints into the
Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
