Steps To Theft Recovery
How to take appropriate steps to Theft Recovery
Here are some
important tips on how to take steps to theft recovery, for shoppers and
merchants.
What are the first steps I should
take if I'm a victim of identity theft?
Follow up all calls in writing. Send your letter by certified
mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the company
received and when. Keep copies for your files.
1. Call the
toll-free fraud number of any one of the
three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your
credit report. This can help prevent an identity thief from
opening additional accounts in your name. As soon as the credit
bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus
will automatically be notified to place fraud alerts, and all
three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge. For more
information about fraud alerts, see
What are fraud alerts and
victim statements?
Once you receive
your reports, review them carefully to make sure no fraudulent
accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized changes
made to your existing accounts. See
What should I look for on a
credit report to indicate identity theft? and
How I do
correct inaccurate information on my credit report?
You should continue to check your reports
periodically, especially in the first year of discovery, to make
sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.
Please note:
The automated ?one-call? process only works for the initial
placement of your fraud alert. Orders for additional credit
reports or renewals of your fraud alerts must be made separately
at each of the three major credit bureaus.
2. Contact the
creditors (for example, credit card companies, phone companies and
other utilities, and banks and other lenders) to close any
accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Ask
to speak with someone in the security or fraud department of each
creditor. It's particularly important to notify credit card
companies in writing. See
What do I do
if someone has tampered with my existing accounts? See
What should I do about unauthorized charges on my credit cards?
See
What do I do if someone has opened new credit
accounts in my name?
3. File a report
with your local police. Get a copy of the police report in case
the creditors, credit bureaus or others need proof of the crime.
See How do I prove that I'm an
identity theft victim? or
What should I
do if the local police will not take a report from me?
4. File a complaint
with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases
which are used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.
Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft
and the problems victims are having so that we may better assist
you. See
Filing a Complaint with the FTC.
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.
