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If you're a victim
Sometimes an identity thief can strike even if you've been very careful about keeping your personal information to yourself. If you suspect your personal information has been hijacked and misappropriated to commit fraud or theft, take action immediately and keep a record of your conversations and correspondence.
- Contact the Social Security Administration's Fraud Hotline at 800-269-0271 to report the unauthorized use of your personal identification information.
- Contact your State Department of Motor Vehicles to see if the Department has issued an unauthorized license number in your name. If so, notify them that you are a victim of identity theft.
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- File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Even if the police can't catch the identity thief in your case, having a copy of the police report can help you when dealing with creditors.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by contacting them:
- Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at
1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338),
- Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20580-0001,
- or visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
- Contact the creditors for any accounts
that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Ask to speak
to someone in the security or fraud department of each creditor
and follow up with a letter. Immediately close accounts that have
been tampered with and open new ones with new PINs and passwords.
Information from Federal Trade Commission
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