Steps
To Take If You Are a Fraud Victim
If you suspect misuse of your personal information to commit fraud, take
action immediately. Keep a record of all conversations and correspondence
when you take the following suggested steps:
- Contact your bank(s) & credit card issuers
immediately so that the following can be done; access to your
accounts can be protected; stop payments on missing checks; personal
identification numbers (PINs) and online banking passwords changed;
and a new account opened, if appropriate. Be sure to indicate to the
bank or credit card issuer all of the accounts and/or cards potentially
impacted including ATM cards, check (debit) cards and credit cards.
Customer service or fraud prevention telephone numbers can generally
be found on your monthly statements. Contact the major check verification
companies to request they notify retailers using their databases not
to accept these stolen checks, or ask your bank to notify the check
verification service with which it does business. Three of the check
verification companies that accept reports of check fraud directly
from consumers are: Telecheck (800) 710-9898, International Check
Services (800) 631-9656 and Equifax (800) 437-5120.
- File a police report with your local police
department. Obtain a police report number with the date, time,
police department, location and police officer taking the report.
The police report may initiate an investigation into the loss with
the goal of identifying, arresting and prosecuting the offender and
possibly recovering your lost items. The police report will be helpful
when clarifying to creditors that you are a victim of identity theft.
- Contact the three major credit bureaus
and request a copy of your credit report. Review your reports to make
sure additional fraudulent accounts have not been opened in your name
or unauthorized changes made to your existing accounts. Check the
section of your report that lists "inquiries." Request the "inquiries"
be removed from your report from the companies that opened the fraudulent
accounts. In a few months, order new copies of your reports to verify
your corrections and changes to make sure no new fraudulent activity
has occurred. Request a "fraud alert" for your file and a victim's
statement asking creditors to call you before opening new accounts
or changing your existing ones. This can help prevent an identity
thief from opening additional accounts in your name. Here are the
major credit bureaus and their phone numbers: Equifax (800-525-6285),
Experian (888-397-3742) and Trans Union (800-680-7289).
- Check your mailbox for stolen mail. Make
sure no one has requested an unauthorized address change, title change,
PIN change or ordered new cards or checks to be sent to another address.
If a thief has stolen your mail to get credit cards, bank and credit
card statements, pre-screened credit offers or tax information, or
if an identity thief has falsified change-of-address forms, that's
a crime. Contact your local post office and police.
- Maintain a written chronology of what happened,
what was lost and the steps you took to report the incident to the
various agencies, banks and firms impacted. Be sure to record the
date, time, contact telephone numbers, person you talked to and any
relevant report or reference number and instructions.
