Call the toll-free fraud number of any one of the three
nationwide consumer reporting companies and place an
initial fraud alert on your credit reports. This
alert can help stop someone from opening new credit
accounts in your name. Once a fraud alert is placed with
one agency, the others are notified. You will get a
credit report from one of the agencies.
Equifax: 1-800-766-0008; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289;
www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance
Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
An initial fraud alert stays on your credit report
for 90 days. When you place this alert on your credit
report with one nationwide consumer reporting company,
you'll get information about ordering one free credit
report from each of the companies. It may be prudent to
wait about a month after your information was stolen
before you order your report. That's because suspicious
activity may not show up right away. Once you get your
reports, review them for suspicious activity, like
inquiries from companies you didn't contact, accounts
you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you
can't explain. Be certain that information — like your
SSN, address(es), name or initials, and employers — is
correct.
If the Stolen Information Includes Government-Issued Identification
Contact the agencies that issued the documents and follow their procedures to cancel a document and get a replacement. Ask the agency to flag your file to keep anyone else from getting a license or another identification document in your name.
Once you've taken these precautions, watch for signs that your information is being misused. For example, you may not get certain bills or other mail on time. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks. Other signs include:
- Receiving credit cards that you didn't apply for
- Being denied credit, or being offered less favorable credit terms, like a high interest rate, for no apparent reason
- Getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn't buy.
Continue to read your financial account statements promptly and carefully, and monitor your credit reports every few months in the first year of the theft, and once a year thereafter.
