So, if you're a victim of identity theft, be sure to dispute fraudulent charges with your financial institution to receive a refund. The Fair Credit Billing Act and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act protect consumers from assuming liability for fraudulent charges. If fraudulent activity appears on your credit or debit card, ask your issuer or bank to freeze or close the account and send you a new card with an updated account number. "Be sure to alert any companies or accounts that may have been impacted by fraudulent transactions on your behalf, including bank accounts, credit cards, and health insurance, among others," says Burroughs. Step 3: Contact the institutions where the fraud occurred Request a security freeze with Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion online, by phone, or by mail. A credit freeze will stay on your file indefinitely, so if you apply for a new credit card or loan, you must contact each of the bureaus again to lift the freeze. With an account freeze, you can continue to use your current credit cards. You can place a credit freeze on your file by contacting all three credit bureaus. Request a fraud alert with Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion online, by phone, or by mail.Ĭomplete the fraud alert request form and mail to: However, you can prolong this service for up to seven years by filing an identity theft report with the police or the FTC. The watch will remain on your file for a year. The credit agency will then inform the other two bureaus to add a fraud alert to your credit report. Get in touch with either TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax to activate a fraud alert. "These alerts can help catch any unauthorized access, such as opening credit cards or taking out loans," says Burroughs. In contrast, a credit freeze restricts lenders from accessing your credit report if you or someone else opens an account under your name. "If you suspect fraudulent activity or think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the three major credit bureaus to notify them and request a fraud alert or credit freeze to prevent any further unauthorized activity," says Burroughs.Ī fraud alert requires lenders to verify your identity before issuing you a new credit account. Step 2: Place a fraud alert and freeze on your credit reports Evidence of identity theft (i.e., bills, IRS notices, credit reports).proof of your address (i.e., mortgage statement, rental agreement, or utility bill).a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report.You'll need to go to your nearest police station with the following, according to the FTC. You'll also want to file a police report. An identity theft report can be helpful when you're recovering your identity. Note: While you can file a report with the FTC over the phone, you won't receive an identity theft report. This plan walks you through recovering from identity theft, tracks your progress, and provides templates for the necessary forms and letters. After completing a questionnaire, you'll receive a recovery plan based on your situation. You can create an identity theft report with the FTC by visiting. "The information can be used by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to identify or track down the perpetrator, as well as provide the individual with a personal recovery plan," says David Burroughs, partner at StoneTurn, a global risk and compliance consulting firm. This will expedite your recovery process down the road. The first thing you'll want to do is report the identity theft instance to the FTC. Step 1: File a report with the FTC and your local police department You can find our guide on the best credit monitoring services here. A credit monitoring service may be able to help you catch identity theft even quicker. Luckily, if someone opens a new credit card using your name, you'll be able to catch that quickly as long as you keep tabs on your credit report. Another 10% involved new bank accounts.Ĭertain forms of identity theft, like synthetic identity theft or child identity theft, are harder to detect. Of the 1.1 million identity complaints the FTC received, 37% of cases concerned an unauthorized new credit card account. The most common types of identity theft involve the use of your Social Security number to open new accounts. So, we're here to break down steps you can take to protect yourself, take control of the situation, and prevent it from happening again. Recovery can be emotionally taxing and time-consuming. With much of our lives publicly available, identity theft can happen to even the most careful person. In 2022, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 1.1 million reports of identity theft, five times more complaints than they received a decade ago. Beef up your identity protection, as identity theft victims are often targeted multiple times.The key to recovering from identity theft is acting quickly once you detect fraud.Once you detect fraud on your credit reports, create an identity theft report with the FTC.
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