Identity Crisis...

What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen

Maybe you never opened that account, but someone else did...someone who used your 

name and personal information to commit fraud. 

When an imposter co-opts your name, your Social 

Security number (SSN), your credit card number, 

or some other piece of your personal information 

for their use — in short, when 

someone appropriates your personal information without your 

knowledge — it’s a crime. 

The biggest problem? You 

may not know your identity’s 

been stolen until you notice 

that something’s amiss: you 

may get bills for a credit card account you never 

opened; your credit report may include debts 

you never knew you had; a billing cycle may pass 

without your receiving a statement; or you may see 

charges on your bills that you didn’t sign for, didn’t 

authorize, and don’t know anything about.

First Things First 

If you’re a victim of identity theft, the Federal 

Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer 

protection agency, recommends that you take the 

following four steps as soon as possible, and keep 

records of your conversations and copies of all 

correspondence.

1.	 Place a fraud alert on your credit reports,

and review your reports.

Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from 

opening any more accounts in your name. Contact 

the toll-free fraud number of any of the three 

nationwide consumer reporting companies to place 

a fraud alert on your credit 

report. You need to contact 

only one of the three companies 

to place an alert. The company 

you call is required to contact 

the other two, which will then 

place an alert on their versions 

of your report.

n Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; 

P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374- 0241

n Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); 

www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 

75013

n TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; 

www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance 

Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-

6790 

Once you place the fraud alert on your file, 

you’re entitled to order free copies of your credit 

reports; if you ask, only the last four digits of your 

SSN will appear on your credit reports. Once 

you get your credit reports, review them carefully. 

Look for inquiries from companies you haven’t 

August 2005

“I don’t remember opening 

that credit card account. And 

I certainly didn’t buy those 

items I’m being billed for.”

FTC Facts

For Consumers Federal Trade Commission

For The Consumer

www.ftc.gov 1-877-ftc-help
contacted; accounts you didn’t open; and debts 

on your accounts that you can’t explain. Check 

that information like your SSN, address(es), and 

name or initials are correct. If you find fraudulent 

or inaccurate information, get it removed. See the 

FTC’s comprehensive identity theft recovery guide, 

Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft, at 

www.ftc.gov/idtheft to learn how. Continue to 

check your credit reports periodically, especially for 

the first year after you discover the identity theft, to 

make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.

Fraud Alerts

There are two types of fraud alerts: an initial alert 

and an extended alert. 

n An initial alert stays on your credit report for 

at least 90 days. You may ask that an initial 

fraud alert be placed on your credit report if 

you suspect you have been, or are about to 

be, a victim of identity 

theft. An initial alert 

is appropriate if your 

wallet has been stolen 

or if you’ve been taken 

in by a “phishing” scam. 

Phishing occurs when 

scam artists steal personal 

information from you by 

sending email that claims to be from a legitimate 

company and says you have a problem with your 

account. When you place an initial fraud alert 

on your credit report, you’re entitled to one free 

credit report from each of the three nationwide 

consumer reporting companies.

n An extended alert stays on your credit report 

for seven years. You can have an extended alert 

placed on your credit report if you’ve been a 

victim of identity theft and you provide the 

consumer reporting company with an “identity 

theft report.” When you place an extended 

alert on your credit report, you’re entitled to 

two free credit reports within twelve months, 

after placing the alert, from each of the three 

nationwide consumer reporting companies. In 

addition, the consumer reporting companies 

will remove your name from marketing lists for 

prescreened credit offers for five years unless 

you ask them to put your name back on the list 

before then. 

To place either of these alerts on your credit 

report, or to have them removed, you will be 

required to provide appropriate proof of your 

identity, which may include your SSN, name, 

address, and other personal information the 

consumer reporting company requests.

When a business sees the alert on your credit 

report, they must verify your identity before issuing 

you credit. As part of this 

verification process, the 

business may try to contact 

you directly. This may cause 

some delays if you’re trying to 

obtain credit. To compensate 

for possible delays, you may 

wish to include a cell phone 

number, where you can be 

reached easily, in your alert. 

Remember to keep all contact information in your 

alert current.

The Identity Theft Report

An identity theft report may have two parts:

Part One is a copy of a report filed with a 

local, state, or federal law enforcement agency like 

your local police department, your State Attorney 

General, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the FTC, 

or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. When you 

file a report, provide as much information as you 

An initial alert stays on your 

credit report for at least 90 days. 

An extended alert stays on your 

credit report for seven years.

 FTC Facts For Consumers
can about the crime, including anything you know 

about the dates of the identity theft, the fraudulent 

accounts opened, and the alleged identity thief. 

Part Two of an identity theft report depends 

on the policies of the consumer reporting company 

and the information provider (the business that 

sent the information to the consumer reporting 

company). They may ask you to provide information 

or documentation to verify your identity theft in 

addition to that included in the law enforcement 

report. They must make their request within 15 days 

of receiving your law enforcement report, or, if you 

already have an extended fraud alert on your credit 

report, the date you submit your request to the credit 

reporting company for information blocking. The 

consumer reporting company and the information 

provider then have 15 more days to work with you 

to make sure your identity theft report contains 

everything they need. They are entitled to take five 

days to review any information you give them. For 

example, if you give them information 11 days after 

they request it, they do not have to make a final 

decision until 16 days after they asked you for that 

information. If you give them any information after 

the 15-day deadline, they can reject your identity 

theft report as incomplete, and you will have to 

resubmit it with the correct information.

Most federal and state agencies and some 

local police departments offer only “automated” 

reports — a report that does not require a faceto-face meeting with a law enforcement officer. 

Automated reports may be submitted online, or by 

telephone or mail. If you have a choice, do not use 

an automated report. The reason? It’s more difficult 

for the consumer reporting company or information 

provider to verify the information. Unless you are 

asking a consumer reporting company to place 

an extended fraud alert on your credit report, you 

probably will have to provide additional information 

or documentation if you use an automated report.

2.	 Close the accounts that you know, or

believe, have been tampered with or

opened fraudulently.

Call and speak with someone in the security or fraud 

department of each company. Follow up in writing, 

and include copies (NOT originals) of supporting 

documents. It’s important to notify credit card 

companies and banks in writing. Send your letters by 

certified mail, and request a return receipt so you can 

document what the company received and when. 

Keep a file of your correspondence and enclosures.

When you open new accounts, use new Personal 

Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords. Avoid 

using easily available information like your mother’s 

maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits 

of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of 

consecutive numbers. 

If the identity thief has made charges or debits to 

your accounts, or to fraudulently opened accounts, 

ask the company for the forms to dispute those 

transactions. Also request the transaction records 

relating to the identity theft, such as the fraudulent 

credit application. 

Once you have resolved your identity theft 

dispute with the company, ask for a letter stating 

that the company has closed the disputed accounts 

and has discharged the fraudulent debts. This 

letter can help you if errors relating to this account 

reappear on your credit report or you are contacted 

again about the fraudulent debt. 

3.	 File a report with your local police or

the police in the community where the

identity theft took place.

Then, get a copy of the police report or at the very 

least, the number of the report. It can help you 

deal with creditors who need proof of the crime. 

FTC Facts For Consumers 
If the police are reluctant to take your report, ask 

to file a “Miscellaneous Incidents” report, or try 

another jurisdiction, like your state police. You also 

can check with your state Attorney General’s office 

to find out if state law requires the police to take 

reports for identity theft. Check the Blue Pages of 

your telephone directory for the phone number or 

check www.naag.org for a list of state Attorneys 

General.

4.	 File a complaint with the Federal Trade

Commission.

By sharing your identity theft complaint with the 

FTC, you will provide important information that 

can help law enforcement officials across the nation 

track down identity thieves and stop them. The FTC 

can refer victims’ complaints to other government 

agencies and companies for further action, as well 

as investigate companies for violations of laws the 

agency enforces.

You can file a complaint online at www.ftc.gov/

idtheft, by phone at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); 

TTY: 1-866-653- 4261, or by mail: Identity Theft 

Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. 

Be sure to call the Hotline to update your complaint 

if you have any additional information or problems.

Next, Take Control

Although identity thieves can wreak havoc on your 

personal finances, there are some things you can do 

to take control of the situation. Here’s how to handle 

some of the most common forms of identity theft.

If an identity thief has stolen your mail for access 

to new credit cards, bank and credit card statements, 

pre-approved credit offers, and tax information 

or falsified change-of-address forms, (s)he has 

committed a crime. Report it to your local postal 

inspector.

If you discover that an identity thief has changed 

the billing address on an existing credit card account, 

close the account. When you open a new account, 

ask that a password be used before any inquiries or 

changes can be made on the account. Avoid using 

easily available information like your mother’s 

maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits 

of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of 

consecutive numbers. Avoid the same information 

and numbers when you create a Personal 

Identification Number (PIN).

If you have reason to believe that an identity 

thief has accessed your bank accounts, checking 

account, or used your ATM card, close the accounts 

immediately. When you open new accounts, insist 

on password-only access. If your checks have been 

stolen or misused, stop payment. If your ATM card 

has been lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised, 

cancel the card and get another with a new PIN.

If an identity thief has established new phone 

or wireless service in your name and is making 

unauthorized calls that appear to come from — and 

are billed to — your cellular phone, or is using your 

calling card and PIN, contact your service provider 

immediately to cancel the account and calling card. 

Get new accounts and new PINs.

If it appears that someone is using your SSN 

when applying for a job, get in touch with the 

Social Security Administration to verify the accuracy 

of your reported earnings and that your name is 

reported correctly. Call 1-800-772-1213 to check 

your Social Security Statement.

If you suspect that your name or SSN is being 

used by an identity thief to get a driver’s license, 

report it to your Department of Motor Vehicles. 

Also, if your state uses your SSN as your driver’s 

license number, ask to substitute another number.

 FTC Facts For Consumers
Staying Alert

Once resolved, most cases of identity theft stay 

resolved. But occasionally, some victims have 

recurring problems. To stay on top of the situation, 

continue to monitor your credit reports and read 

your financial account statements promptly and 

carefully. You may want to review your credit reports 

once every three months in the first year of the theft, 

and once a year thereafter. Stay alert for other signs 

of identity theft, like:

n failing to receive bills or other mail. 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.

n receiving credit cards that you didn’t apply for.

n being denied credit, or being offered less 

favorable credit terms, like a high interest rate, 

for no apparent reason.

n getting calls or letters from debt collectors or 

businesses about merchandise or services you 

didn’t buy. 

Get Your Credit Report

Order a copy of your credit report from the three 

nationwide consumer reporting companies every 

year to check on their accuracy and whether they 

include only those debts and loans you’ve incurred. 

This could be very important if you’re considering a 

major purchase, such as a house or a car.

An amendment to the federal Fair Credit 

Reporting Act requires each of the major nationwide 

consumer reporting companies to provide you with a 

free copy of your credit reports, at your request, once 

every 12 months. 

To order your free annual report from one or all 

of the nationwide consumer reporting companies, 

visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free 

1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit 

Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit 

Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, 

GA 30348-5281. The form is at the back of this 

brochure; or you can print it from ftc.gov/credit. Do 

not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting 

companies individually. They provide free annual 

credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.

com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report 

Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 

30348-5281. 

For more information, see Your Access to Free 

Credit Reports at ftc.gov/credit.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent 

fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices 

in the marketplace and to provide information 

to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. 

To file a complaint or to get free information on 

consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-

877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-

653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, 

identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints 

into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database 

available to hundreds of civil and criminal law 

enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

FTC Facts For Consumers 
Chart Your Course of Action

Use this form to record the steps you’ve taken to report the fraudulent use of your identity. Keep this list in a safe place for reference.Nationwide Consumer Reporting Companies - Report Fraud

Consumer 

Reporting 

Company

Phone Number Date Contacted Contact Person Comments

Equifax 1.800.525.6285Experian 1.888.EXPERIAN (397.3742)TransUnion 1.800.680.7289Banks, Credit Card Issuers and Other Creditors (Contact each creditor promptly to protect your legal rights.)

Creditor Address and Phone Number Date Contacted Contact Person Comments

Law Enforcement Authorities - Report Identity Theft

Agency/

Department

Phone 

Number

Date 

Contacted

Contact 

Person

Report 

Number Comments

 FTC Facts For Consumers
You have the right to get a free copy of your credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months, from each of

the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

For instant access to your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

For more information on obtaining your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Use this form if you prefer to write to request your credit report from any, or all, of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. The

following information is required to process your request. Omission of any information may delay your request.

If additional information is needed to process your request, the consumer credit

reporting company will contact you by mail.

Your request will be processed within 15 days of receipt and then mailed to you.

Annual Credit Report Request Form

Once complete, fold (do not staple or tape), place into a #10 envelope, affix required postage and mail to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Copyright 2004, Central Source LLC

Equifax

Experian

TransUnion

I want a credit report from (shade

each that you would like to

receive):

Shade here if, for security

reasons, you want your credit

report to include no more than

the last four digits of your

Social Security Number.

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Social Security Number:

- -

Date of Birth:

/ /

Month Day Year

First Name M.I.

Last Name JR, SR, III, etc.

Current Mailing Address:

House Number Street Name

City State ZipCode

City State ZipCode

Apartment Number / Private Mailbox For Puerto Rico Only: Print Urbanization Name

House Number Street Name

Previous Mailing Address (complete only if at current mailing address for less than two years):

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Please use a Black or Blue Pen and write your responses in PRINTED CAPITAL LETTERS without touching the sides of the boxes like the examples listed below:

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