Identity Theft - What to Do If You Think You May Be An Identity Theft Victim

If you have recently opened a credit card statement and see charges you don’t recognize, you may be an identity theft victim. Or you may possibly have received a statement in the mail for an overdue account that you were not aware existed. Other forms of identity theft that you may have fallen victim to include receiving a notice of outstanding court fees.

Receiving these types of mail can be shocking or even confusing, but do not let them go as a mistake or a coincidence. The first step you should take if you think you are an identity theft victim is to call the agency or company who has sent the letter or bank statement and verify that they have your name, social security number, driver’s license and birth date as the account holder. If so, then close the account immediately if this is not an account you set up.

Do not get off the phone with the agency before clarifying that you believe this is a case of identity theft and see what measures the company takes to protect their customers against such actions. Most often the company will have you file out an identity theft affidavit or customer complaint so this action is on file. Often times the credit card or bank account company will reimburse the missing or misused funds after a complaint is filed.

The next step you want to take is to review your credit report as well as contact the fraud department of a credit report company. Usually a credit report can be sent to you via email nearly instantaneously. As well, the credit report company will put an alert on your credit report that will require any creditors to contact you before opening new accounts or making changes to existing accounts.

Remember that new laws are in replace that require all consumers to be allowed one free credit report a year. If you have already used your free credit report for the year, most credit reports only cost between $9.99 and $19.99.

After receiving your credit report if you see any other suspicious activities, call these companies directly and cancel the open accounts as well as report fraudulent identity theft activity. If someone has been opening accounts with a different address or phone number this may be the first step in tracking down the identity thief, so be sure to ask specific questions regarding the account information.

Even if there is little evidence of a phone number or address to collect, it is still important to file a report with both your local police department and the Federal Trade Commission. The local police report can be submitted to creditors of proof that you are the identity theft victim and not someone trying to participate in identity theft.

As far as the Federal Trade Commission goes, they have a national database of identity theft crimes and the more information they receive, the easier they can link together crimes. This does not necessarily mean that the Federal Trade Commission will personally investigate your claim, but this does help them to have a better understand of future identity theft crimes.

Keep in mind that dealing with being a victim of identity theft can be emotionally draining. If you have more than one incident of identity theft or a persistent thief who will not leave your personal information alone, this can become an absolute nightmare. The most difficult part for you, creditors and local police is actually putting a face with the thief stealing your identity. Remember that the FTC and the local police are just as overwhelmed and frustrated by this battle as you may feel when dealing with it. Taking these steps can help you reclaim your identity a piece at a time.