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1. Get a copy
of your credit report to check if any new accounts
or credit inquiries show up. Virtually all of your credit
information is in your credit report. If someone is opening
accounts in your name, it should show up there.
2. Contact each company where you
think you might have been a victim. Talk to their security or
fraud department and explain what has happened. Review your
account with them for any incorrect charges or a change of
address. If you find something is wrong, you may need to close
the account. If you open any new accounts, ask the company to
put passwords (not your mother’s maiden name) on the account.
The Federal Trade Commission has tried to make this process
easier by creating an Identity Theft Affidavit. It's a document
you can fill out once and use with each company investigation.
Get the FTC ID theft affidavit.
3. If someone is using checks
they've stolen from you or has set up a bank account in your
name, contact the major
check verification services. In
particular, if you know that a particular merchant has received
a check stolen from you, contact the verification company that
the merchant uses.
4. Document all Contacts - Make notes of everyone you speak with;
ask for names, department names, phone extensions; record the
date you spoke to them. Don't throw these notes away! Keep all
notes and letters together in case they are needed in the
future.
5.
Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major
credit bureaus and report that you think your identity has been
stolen. Ask that a "fraud alert" be placed on your file and that
no new credit be granted without your approval.
6. File a report with your local police or the police where the
identity theft took place. Get a copy of the report in case the
bank, credit card company, or others need proof of the crime
later on.
7. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The
FTC is the federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of
identity theft. Although the FTC does not have the authority to
bring criminal cases, the Commission assists victims of identity
theft by providing them with information to help them resolve
the financial and other problems that can result from identity
theft. The FTC also may refer victim complaints to other
appropriate government agencies and private organizations for
further action.
If you're
see that you're a victim of identity theft, you can file a
complaint with the FTC by contacting their hotline.
By
phone:
Toll-free 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TDD: 202-326-2502
By
mail:
Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Online:
Online ID Theft Complaint Form
8. Contact your local office of the
Postal Inspection Service if you suspect that an identity
thief has submitted a change-of-address form with the Post
Office to redirect your mail, or has used the mail to commit
frauds involving your identity.
9. Contact the
Social Security Administration if you suspect that your
Social Security number is being fraudulently used (call
800-269-0271 to report the fraud).
10. Contact the
Internal Revenue Service If you suspect the improper use of
identification information in connection with tax violations
(call 1-800-829-0433 to report the violations).
How much will Identity Theft Cost?
Identity theft will cost you time and money
to clear up. But your liability for charges can be limited if
you report any problems promptly. Here's the info:
Credit Cards
If you report the loss before the credit card
is used, the card issuer cannot hold you responsible for any
unauthorized charges. If a thief uses your credit card before
you report it missing, the most you will owe for unauthorized
charges is $50 per card. This is true even if the thief uses
your credit card at an ATM machine to obtain a cash advance.
As such liability is limited to $50, beware of
calls from telemarketers selling "loss protection" insurance.
Some telemarketers may falsely claim that you will be
responsible for all unauthorized charges made against your
account if your credit card is stolen. Don’t buy the pitch and
don’t buy the unnecessary insurance.
How to Contact Visa, MasterCard, and
American Express
Visa - (800) 847-2911
Mastercard - (800) MC-ASSIST
American Express - (800) 554-AMEX
ATM and Debit Cards
Be aware that ATM and debit cards do not allow the same
protections as credit cards. If you fail to report unauthorized
charges within a timely manner, you could be held liable for the
charges.
- If you report an ATM or debit card missing
before it is used without your permission, your financial
institution cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized
withdrawals.
- If you report your ATM or debit card lost
or stolen within two business days of discovering the loss or
theft, your liability is limited to $50.
- If you report your ATM or debit card lost
or stolen after the two business days, but within 60 days
after a statement showing an unauthorized withdrawal, you can
be liable for up to $500 of what a thief withdraws.
- If you wait more than 60 days, you could
lose all the money that was taken from your account after the
end of the 60 days and before you report the card missing.
Checks
Most states hold the bank responsible for the
losses from a forged check. However, you may be held liable for
the forgery if you do not notify the back in a timely manner
that a check was lost or stolen, or if you do not monitor your
account statements and promptly report an unauthorized
transaction. Contact the major check verification companies to request that they
notify retailers using their databases not to accept the lost or
stolen checks, or ask your bank to notify the check verification
service with which it does business.
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