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If
You Become A Victim...
Contact The Credit Bureaus
 After you inform the police, contact the credit
bureaus. Next, contact any credit card companies and associated
banks where your accounts may be at risk.
- Get all credit report agencies to
flag the accounts with a “fraud
alert.” Find out from each credit-reporting agency
how long the fraud alert will remain on your report,
and how to
extend that time, if necessary. Ask that all creditors
contact you at a phone number you provide to verify all
future applications
for credit.
- Add a “victim’s statement” to
the report; include your name, state the specific problem,
and provide
a telephone number where you can be easily reached.
- Have
each credit bureau send you a copy of your personal credit
report. These reports will allow you in tracing where
and when any fraud occurred to your accounts.
- In a few months, order new copies
of your reports to verify your corrections and changes,
and to make sure no
new fraudulent activity has occurred during that time. Unfortunately, identity
thieves strike the same accounts repeatedly. Because
of this,
it is very important to continue to monitor your
credit reports very closely for a while after the initial crime, even more
than a year. While a "fraud alert” will
greatly help reduce any more attempts at crime, thieves
may still find
ways to open new accounts. Again, ask the credit
bureaus if they will supply you with free reports
every few months.
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Security Tip: