Identity Theft Victim - 4 Things to Do Right Now!

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4 Things to Do Now - If you think your identity has been stolen.

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NOTE: Just recently two of my friends have been the victim of Identity Theft. Here is the Information I found to help them deal with it. I thought others would find it useful.

Do you know the  steps you can take to minimize your risk and minimize the damage if your identity is stolen?

 Remember - there are no guarantees about avoiding identity theft. Here are 4 steps you can take immediately if you think someone has used your identity for illegal purposes.

Step 1... Contact 

Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three consumer reporting companies - Equifax, TransUnion, Experian - to place a fraud alert on your credit report.

A fraud alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before opening any new accounts.

Step 2... Close 

Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.

Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.

Step 3... File 

File your complaint with the FTC. You should print a copy of your complaint with the FTC to provide important standardized information for your local police report.

Here is the link to the FTC's Identity Theft Complaint Form.

Step 4... Report 

File a report with your local police or police in the community where the identity theft took place.

Give the police a copy of your FTC ID Theft complaint form.

Get a copy of the police report (or, at least, the police report number). You may need it when dealing with the creditor.

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Consumer News from the US Government 

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