1. Call your police department or visit the station so an officer can take a report.
2. Contact any of the three major credit bureaus and ask that they place a "fraud alert" on your credit report The three credit bureaus share information so you only need to contact one of them.
(800) 525-6285
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
(888) 397-3742
P.O. Box 9530
Allen, TX 75013
(800) 680-7289
Fraud Victims Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92634-6790
3. Contact the fraud department at each creditor or bank that provided the thief with unauthorized credit, goods or services. Provide them with the police department's case number. Keep detailed records of these conversations.
4. Contact financial insitutions with which you have open accounts, even if these accounts have not yet been accessed or used farudulently. Explain the situation to them. You may need to close these accounts or changing the account numbers.
5. Contact the Federal Trade Commission online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft and report the case. The FTC mains an Identify Theft Data Clearinghouse and provides information to identity theft victims.
Identity Theft Clearing House
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
6. Organize and keep a detailed log of all your contacts and make copies of all documents. Make sure that you document names of people you speak with and the time and date of your conversations.
7. A group composed of Credit Grantors, Consumer Advocates and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) developed an ID Theft Affidavit (pdf) to help you report information to many companies using just one standard form. Use of the form is optional. While many companies accept this affidavit, others will require that you submit more or different forms. Contact each company BEFORE sending the affidavit to find out if they accept it.
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