One of the most unnerving and upsetting events in life is to discover that someone has stolen your identity. Whether they’ve opened a new credit card in your name, taken out loans, or received a tax refund before you could even file, the discovery will hit you in the pit of your stomach. Here are some steps to take if you find out your identity has been stolen.
Contact companies
If you discover that someone opened a credit card in your name, call the company issuing the card and speak to their fraud department. Report that someone stole your identity to open this account and ask how to freeze or close the account. While you’re on the phone with them, change your login information and any password or PIN that was set up for the account.
Contact one of the three credit reporting agencies
Either by calling or through their websites, you can place a fraud alert with Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. By law, if you place a fraud alert with one credit bureau, they must inform the other two.
Get copies of your credit reports from all bureaus
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to download the reports and go through every line. Work with each credit bureau to correct or remove any mystery accounts or anything you don’t recognize (addresses where you supposedly lived, erroneous names, etc.).
Check your coverage
After you have stopped the initial bleeding, check to see if you’re covered by identity theft insurance. Some credit cards offer identity theft protection or resolution services. If your identity was part of a major breach in the past, you may be covered by a third-party protection service. Take advantage of these services if you have them.
File a report with the FTC
By visiting IdentityTheft.gov, you can create an Identity Theft Report. According to their website, this “proves to businesses that someone stole your identity.” Plus they can help you create a recovery plan.
File a police report
Visit your local police station and let them know you need to file a stolen identity report. Some companies may require a police report as proof of your identity being stolen. Make sure you leave with a copy or an estimate of when they will email one to you.
Close any other unknown accounts
If you discovered other accounts were opened in your name, contact the fraud departments of each and ask them to close the account. Make sure they confirm in writing that the account isn’t yours, that you aren’t liable for any charges, and that it has been removed from your credit report.
Go through your credit card bills line by line
There’s always a chance someone could get into one of your current accounts and make fraudulent charges. If you see any charges that are in error, contact the credit card company and ask for their removal. Request a letter confirming the charges were removed.
Freeze your credit
Many people think freezing their credit is a hassle. But once you’ve set up the freeze, unfreezing and refreezing is quick and easy (and costs nothing). Credit bureaus may try to push a credit lock. But for most people, a freeze is the best solution. By freezing your account, you block access to your credit report. This means new accounts that require a credit inquiry (like a new credit card) cannot be opened unless you unfreeze the report.
Document everything and follow up
In this heightened state of stress, you may not remember what TransUnion said, or think it was Equifax that made a specific statement. With every call, write down the date and time, person you spoke with, and concerns/outcomes of the call.
Similarly, while most companies want to help, you may fall between the cracks if you don’t stay on top of them. The old adage the squeaky wheel gets the grease definitely applies here. Be polite but be firm. If someone promises you a callback or email by a certain date, contact them if they are late.
Unfortunately, this may just be the start of clearing up your identity. If someone steals your credit card number and charges a TV, this can be corrected relatively quickly. If they have opened several accounts or applied for jobs, it could take six months or more to untangle the mess.
Photo by Eleventh Wave