Identity Theft Information

Victims of Identity Theft


What to do if you are a victim of identity theft:

"File a report in the jurisdiction where the fraud occurred and classify it under your jurisdiction’s identity theft or fraud code. A police report is critical in helping victims get rid of fraudulent debts and clear up their credit reports. If your state doesn’t have an identity theft statute, take a Miscellaneous Incidents report or your jurisdiction’s equivalent.

Call the toll-free fraud number of any one of the three major credit bureaus (information shown below) to place a fraud alert on their credit report. Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in victims’ names. As soon as the credit bureau confirms the fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to the victim free of charge.

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-525-6285

Experian
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742

TransUnion
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
1-800-680-7289

Close any accounts known or believed to have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. When disputing new unauthorized accounts, many banks and creditors will accept the ID Theft Affidavit, which will save victims valuable time in the recovery process.

File a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form; or call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580."

Information Courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission Website.