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There are many different ways in which identity theft and fraud are committed, and how you should respond to each individual situation may differ, but you should always be pre-emptive and assume the worst when your information has been compromised.
For example, if you fall prey to a fraudulent e-mail and provide your web banking login and password to theives, your first step should be to change the password to that bank account, and to contact the bank to let them know your account may have been compromised. However, it is possible that your bank account number is not all the thieves made off with. Information viewable through your online banking account may have provided the thief with even more information. For example, if your online banking account includes check images, and you wrote your driver's license number on a check you wrote, that may now be compromised as well. Other information such as who your creditors are, your biller's account numbers, your address, telephone number, etc. - may all have been obtained.
Because you may not know exactly what information a thief may have obtained from you, it is recommended that you take the following steps immediately if you think that you may be a victim of identity theft or fraud:
- Request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. It is imperative that you contact one of the three major credit bureaus and request that a fraud alert be placed on your account. You only need to contact one of the three bureaus; they are required to alert the other two on your behalf.
- Request copies of your credit reports. When you place a fraud alert on your credit report, you are entitled to a free copy of each of your three reports. You must obtain it through www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228; you cannot get your free reports through the credit bureaus themselves.
- Contact your bank, credit card companies, or other financial institutions. This must be done quickly so that you can freeze or close any accounts that may have been accessed. If you must open new accounts, be sure to use different passwords and PINs than your previous accounts.
- Contact any businesses, utilities, or other creditors you have accounts with that may have been compromised. Your financial accounts are not the only ones that may have been accessed. Speak to the fraud department of these companies; they should have a process in place for victims of fraud.
- Contact your local police. Not only should you contact the police if your wallet or purse was stolen, but many police departments maintain data on local fraud. It can also be very helpful for you to have a police report on file if you have trouble filing claims with creditors.
- Contact the Social Security Administration. If there is any chance that your Social Security number has been obtained you should call the SSA's Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271.
- Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles if it is possible that your driver's license number was obtained by a thief. If your wallet was stolen, or if the thief had access to cancelled checks that may have had your driver's license number on them, you may need to cancel that number and be re-issued a new one.
- File a complaint with Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC maintains data on identity theft and fraud in an effort to combat this growing crime. They also offer tools in helping you recover from fraud (see next item). Their toll-free identity theft hotline is (877) 322-8228.
- Read and review the Federal Trade Commission's guide, "Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft." This 46-page guide is the most comprehensive document for those who have been a victim of identity theft and will outline all of the steps that you should take when you have been a victim. This is a must-read guide if you have been affected by identity theft or fraud. Click here to download this guide in PDF format directly from the FTC website. , or view an online HTML version on the FTC website.
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