Steps for Victims of Identity Theft

Identity theft is an extremely unfortunate situation. The good thing is that victims of identity theft are protected by federal laws that keep them from being liable for any debt that was incurred as a result of identity theft. While it will take some time and effort to clear debt, there is hope for victims of identity theft to restore their identity.

The first thing that victims of identity theft need to do is cancel all credit cards and other accounts. Inform these creditors that you have had your identity stolen. Give them the date of the last transactions that you made against the account. This way the creditors will be able to determine which charges are fraudulent. When you are ready to open new accounts, give passwords for these accounts. Make sure your new passwords cannot be easily guessed. Avoid using your mother’s maiden name, the last four digits of your social security number, or your birthdate as these are the easiest passwords to guess.

Victims of identity theft should also place a fraud alert on all credit reports. To do this you will need to contact any of the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Once you contact one credit bureau, that company is required to contact the other two companies alerting them of the identity theft. This will protects victims of identity theft by keeping the thief from opening new accounts in your name.

It is important for victims of identity theft to file a report to the local police. A police report service as evidence of the crime. Some creditors might request this proof in order to begin taking the actions necessary to close the accounts and remove your liability for the charges. If the police are hesitant to take a report, you should consider obtaining a notarized ID theft affidavit.

Due to the increased occurrence of the crime, it has become easier for victims of identity theft to take the necessary actions to protect themselves.