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If you think your identity has been stolen, here are some suggested action steps:
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Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three majoir credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts. Once the alert is placed, you may order a free copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus.
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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.
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File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
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File Your Complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that the government can better assist you. |
For more in-depth information on recovering from identity theft and help with specific problems, read Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft.
Identity Theft pdf from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
How you can fight identity theft, a pdf from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
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