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The Better Business Bureau
The Federal Trade Commission - ID
Theft
Victim Assistance
IF YOU BECOME A VICTIM
contact the credit bureau fraud departments
www.equifax.com
www.experian.com
www.tuc.com
contact all creditors involved
file a police report
contact
The Federal Trade Commission - ID
Theft
keep a record of your contacts
You receive your credit card statement
only to see several items you don't recall purchasing. Is it possible that
your identity has been stolen? Is someone committing personal fraud in
your good name? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a consumer
alert on the Identity Crisis and what you can do if your Identity is stolen.
Should you find yourself the victim of identity theft, the FTC recommends you
take the following three steps immediately.
First, contact the fraud
departments of the three major credit bureaus. Have them flag your file
with a fraud alert along with a statement requesting that creditors contact you
for permission before opening any account in your name. Contact
information for the three major credit bureaus is listed below
Report Fraud
Order Credit Report
Web Site
Equifax
800-525-6285
800-685-1111
www.equifax.com
Experian
888-397-3742
888-397-3742
www.experian.com
Trans Union
800-680-7289
800-888-4213
www.tuc.com
Second, contact your creditors
regarding accounts that may have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Call and ask to speak to someone in the security or fraud department. Make
sure to follow up and call with a letter detailing procedures outlined in the
Fair Credit Billing Act.
Third, file a report with your local
police department, or the police department in the community where the identity
theft occurred.
You should also file a complaint with the FTC
by calling their Identity Theft Hotline at 877-IDTHEFT or 877-438-4338, online or by mail.
Their address is as follows:
Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Be sure to ask for a free copy of ID
Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name, a comprehensive consumer
guide on how to prevent and recover from identity theft.
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