What to do if you are a victim of Identity Theft

Immediately file a report with all three major credit bureaus. Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus and report that your identity has been stolen. Ask that a fraud alert be placed in your file. Also, consider whether to place a “credit freeze” in your file.

TransUnion
800-916-8800
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton CA 92834-6790

Experian
888-397-3742
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013-1017

Equifax
800-685-1111
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

  • File a police report – After filing a fraud alert with the credit bureaus, contact the police and file a police report – even if your financial institution covers your loss or reimburses you for your loss. Ask the police for a copy of your report. Your bank or credit card issuer may require that you show them a copy of the report to verify your claim. In addition, they may require that you complete a “Fraud Affidavit”.
  • Contact your creditors – Close accounts that have been compromised or opened in your name without your permission.
  • Obtain a free copy of your credit report Examine it carefully and report any unauthorized accounts or activity. Some credit services will try their best to remove any credit issues you may have that were not caused by you. You may also want to visit this site to learn more about building up your credit should the worst happen.
  • If your bank checks were stolen, close your checking account and obtain new account numbers. Consider whether you should place a “stop payment” on any outstanding checks. Also, ask the bank to report the theft to ChexSystems, a consumer reporting agency that compiles reports on checking accounts. You can also put a security alert on your file by contacting ChexSystems. If your ATM or debit card was lost or stolen, cancel the card and obtain a new one.
  • If your mail was stolen or your mail was-redirected, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. You can also file a report.
  • If your social security card was lost or stolen, file a report with the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 800-269-0271.
  • If your passport was lost or stolen, contact the U.S. State Department or by visiting their local field office.
  • If a tax return was fraudulently filed in your name, contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 800-829-0433. In addition, if you are having trouble filing your return, contact the IRS Taxpayer Advocates Office at 877-777-4778.
  • If a fraudulent student loan was taken out in your name, contact the school or program that issued the loan. You can also report the fraudulent loan to the U.S. Department of Education, which can be reached by phone at 800-647-8733, or by mail at:
The Office of Inspector General,
U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue,
SW, Washington DC 20202-1510.
 

For more information about questions you may have, please contact:

The Identity Theft Resource Center or call 858-693-7935;
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse or call 619-298-3396;
or The Federal Trade Commission.

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