FAST FACTS: What Victims Of ID Theft Can Do

The Federal Trade Commission has some helpful tips on what you should do if you suspect you've become the victim of ID Theft. These tips can help you avoid further headaches:

Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. If the stolen information includes your Social Security number, 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.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

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. An initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for 90 days. It's 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. Check that information — like your SSN, address(es), name or initials, and employers — is correct.

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
• getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn't buy.

Use an ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts. You can print of a copy of it from the FTC website.

File your complaint with the FTC. You may print a copy of your complaint to provide important standardized information for your police 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).

For more information on each one of these tips log on to the FTC Website