Reporting identity fraud is one of the most import steps you need to take when you discover your identity has been stolen. Oddly enough, for whatever reasons, many people either choose never to report or don’t know how to report that their identities have been stolen. Failing to contact the proper authorities can lead to future problems with your accounts, ruin your credit, and your good name. Depending on your situation, the following list of organizations and departments can be used when reporting identity fraud:
Contact the Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC as many people know them. The FTC provides many services and support for identity theft victims. They have a toll-free hotline expressly dedicated to taking calls from anyone who thinks they may have had their identities compromised. They can be reached at 1-877-ID THEFT (877-438-4338).
Be sure to contact you local law enforcement authorities to let them know as well. At some point you may need to show that a crime was committed in your name and a police report is one of the first things they may ask for. It may help lend credence to your story when dealing with credit agencies and debt collectors that come after you to collect instead of the identity thief themselves.
If you suspect that the identity thief has stolen or tampered with your mail to gain access to your personal information you should contact the US Postal Service. Tampering with the mail is federal offense in and of itself and isn’t taken lightly by the USPS.
If an identity stealer manages to get a hold of your social security number you could be in for a real world of hurt. With just a social security number and a bit more more of your personal information, an identity thief can create a whole new identity for themselves at your expense. Your SSN is a unique identifying piece of information that may allow another person to get a drivers license or other important documents with your name and identity. Once in place they can wreck havoc on your life. Reporting identity fraud using your social security number should be a high priority. Contact the Social Security Administration fraud hotline at 1-800-829-0433.
Probably one of the first things a person starts to worry about when they discover their identity has been stolen is their credit. You need contact each of the three credit agencies individually to let them know what’s happened. They can help protect the victim in most instances and may be able to prevent any further compromise of your identity. Each credit agency has their own contact number for reporting identity fraud. You can report identity theft to Equifax at 1-800-525-6285, TransUnion’s number is 1-800-680-7289, and finally Experian can be called at 1-888-397-3742.
Finally, if you have any other credit accounts, bank accounts, loans, etc…you should contact each of them as quickly as you can. Don’t give the identity thief a chance to use the accounts themselves as you may be responsible for some or all of the charges if you delay in reporting identity fraud to them.
Originally posted 2009-10-16 09:58:40.
