Federal Trade Commission

June 2005

What It’s All About

ID THEFT:

Dear Consumer: 

The Federal Trade Commission has published 

this booklet to help raise awareness of identity 

theft. We encourage you to share it with your 

family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. 

If someone has used your name or other 

personal information to commit a fraud, please 

visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft for information 

on how to proceed and how to file an identity 

theft complaint. The site has links to useful 

information from other federal agencies, states, 

and consumer organizations. The information 

in your complaint becomes part of a secure 

database that law enforcement officials across 

the nation use to help stop identity thieves. 

If you don’t have access to the Internet, call 

1-877-ID-THEFT, the FTC’s toll-free ID Theft 

Hotline. 

Sincerely, 

Lydia B. Parnes, Director

Bureau of Consumer Protection

Federal Trade Commission 

Letter to Consumers

Introduction.....................................................

How Identity Theft Occurs..............................

How Can You Tell if You’re a Victim 

of Identity Theft?..............................................

Getting Your Credit Report.............................

Managing Your Personal Information............

A Special Word About Social 

Security Numbers.............................................

Active Duty Fraud Alerts..................................

If Your Personal Information 

Has Been Lost or Stolen..................................

Identity Theft Victims: 

Immediate Steps...............................................

Fraud Alerts......................................................

Identity Theft Reports......................................

For More Information.....................................

FTC Privacy Policy............................................

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

2

5

6

8

13

14

15

17

19

20

24

25

1

INTRODUCTION

In the course of a busy day, you may write a 

check at the grocery store, charge tickets to 

a ball game, rent a car, mail your tax returns, 

change service providers for your cell phone, 

or apply for a credit card. In each transaction, 

you reveal bits of personal information, like 

your bank and credit card account numbers; 

your income; your Social Security number 

(SSN); or your name, address, and phone 

numbers – a goldmine of information for 

an identity thief. Once a thief has that 

information, it can be used without your 

knowledge to commit fraud or theft. 

Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose 

identities have been stolen can spend time and 

money cleaning up the mess the thieves have 

made of their good name and credit record. 

They may lose out on job opportunities, and 

loans for education, housing, or cars. They may 

even get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit. 

Can you prevent an identity theft? As with 

any crime, you cannot completely control 

whether you will become a victim. But according 

to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the 

nation’s consumer protection agency, you can 

minimize your risk by managing your personal 

information cautiously.
2

HOW IDENTITY 

THEFT OCCURS

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of ways 

to gain access to your personal information. 

For example, they may get information from 

businesses or other institutions by stealing 

it while they’re on the job; bribing an employee 

who has access to these records; hacking these 

records; and conning information out of 

employees. Or:

 • they may steal your wallet or purse. 

 • they may steal your personal information 

through email or the phone by saying 

they’re from a legitimate company and 

claiming that you have a problem with your 

account. This practice is known as “phishing” 

online, or “pretexting” by phone. 

 • they may steal your credit or debit card 

numbers by capturing the information in 

a data storage device in a practice known 

as “skimming.” They may swipe your card 

for an actual purchase, or attach a device 

to an ATM machine where they may enter 

or swipe your card.

 • they may get your credit reports by abusing 

the authorized access that was granted to 

their employer, or by posing as a landlord, 

employer, or someone else who may have 

a legal right to your report. 

 • they may rummage through your trash, the 

trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in 

a practice known as “dumpster diving.”
3

 • they may steal personal information they 

find in your home. 

 • they may steal 

your mail, including 

bank and credit 

card statements, 

credit card offers, 

new checks, and 

tax information. 

 • they may complete 

a “change of address form” to divert your 

mail to another location. 

Once identity thieves have your personal 

information, they may use it to commit fraud 

or theft. For example: 

 • they may call your credit card issuer to 

change the billing address on your account. 

The imposter then runs up charges on your 

account. Because the bills are being sent 

to a different address, it may be some time 

before you realize there’s a problem. 

 • they may open new credit card accounts in 

your name. When they use the credit cards 

and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent 

accounts are reported on your credit report.

 • they may establish phone or wireless 

service in your name. 

 • they may open a bank account in your name 

and write bad checks on the account. 
4

 • they may counterfeit checks or credit or 

debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers 

in your name, and drain your bank account.

 • they may file for bankruptcy under your 

name to avoid paying debts they’ve incurred 

under your name, or to avoid eviction.

 • they may buy a car by taking out an auto 

loan in your name. 

 • they may get identification such as a driver’s 

license issued with their picture, in your name.

 • they may get a job or file fraudulent tax 

returns in your name.

 • they may give your name to the police 

during an arrest. If they don’t show up 

for the court date, a warrant for arrest 

is issued in your name.
5

HOW CAN YOU TELL 

IF YOU’RE A VICTIM 

OF IDENTITY THEFT?

If an identity thief is opening new credit accounts 

in your name, these accounts are likely to show 

up on your credit report. You can find out by 

ordering a copy of your credit report from the 

three nationwide consumer reporting companies. 

If you have lost any personal information – or 

if it has been stolen – you may want to check all 

your reports more frequently for the first year. 

Monitor the balances of your financial accounts. 

Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals. 

Other indications of identity theft can be:

 • failing to receive bills or other mail. This 

could mean an identity thief has submitted 

a change of address. 

 • receiving credit cards for which you did 

not apply.

 • denial of credit for no apparent reason.

 • receiving calls from debt collectors or 

companies about merchandise or services 

you didn’t buy. 
6

GETTING YOUR 

CREDIT REPORT

FREE ANNUAL CREDIT REPORTS

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 

report, at your request, once every 12 months. 

Free reports have been phased in during a 

nine-month period, starting with states in 

the West and ending with states in the East. 

Beginning September 1, 2005, free reports will 

be accessible to all Americans, regardless of 

where they live. 

To order your free annual report from one or 

all the national consumer reporting companies, 

visit: www.annualcreditreport.com; call toll-free: 

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. You can print the form 

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, 

877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report 

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

30348-5281. 

OTHER RIGHTS TO FREE REPORTS

Under federal law, you’re also entitled to a free 

report if a company takes adverse action against 

you, such as denying your application for credit, 

insurance or employment, and you request 

8

MANAGING YOUR 

PERSONAL INFORMATION 

How can a responsible consumer minimize the 

risk of identity theft, as well as the potential for 

damage? When a situation involves your personal 

information, exercise caution and prudence. 

DO IT NOW

Place passwords on your credit card, bank, and 

phone accounts. 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. When you open new accounts, you 

may find that many businesses still have a line 

on their applications for your mother’s maiden 

name. Ask to use a password instead. 

Secure personal information in your home, 

especially if you have roommates, employ outside 

help, or are having work done in your home. 

Ask about information security procedures in 

your workplace or at businesses, doctors’ offices, 

or other institutions that collect your personally 

identifying information. Find out who has access 

to your personal information and verify that it 

is handled securely. Ask about the disposal 

procedures for those records, as well. Find 

out if information will be shared with anyone 

else. If so, ask how your information can be 

kept confidential.
9

EVERYDAY DILIGENCE

Don’t give out personal information on the 

phone, through the mail, or on the Internet 

unless you’ve initiated the contact or are sure you 

know who you’re dealing with. Identity thieves 

are clever, and have posed as representatives of 

banks, Internet service providers (ISPs), and even 

government agencies to get people to reveal 

their SSN, mother’s maiden name, account 

numbers, and other identifying information. 

Before you share any personal information, 

confirm that you’re dealing with a legitimate 

organization. Check an organization’s website 

by typing its URL in the address line, rather 

than cutting and pasting it in. Many companies 

post scam alerts on their sites when their name 

has been used improperly. Or call customer 

service using the number listed on your account 

statement or in the telephone book. 

Treat your mail and trash 

carefully. Deposit your 

outgoing mail in post 

office collection boxes 

or at your local post 

office, rather than in 

an unsecured mailbox. 

Promptly remove mail 

from your mailbox. 

If you’re planning to be 

away from home and can’t pick up your mail, 

call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 

to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service 

will hold your mail at your local post office until 

you can pick it up or are home to receive it.

To thwart a thief who may pick through your 

trash or recycling bins to capture your personal 

information, tear or shred your charge receipts, 
10

copies of credit applications, insurance forms, 

physician statements, checks and bank statements, 

expired credit or charge cards that you’re 

discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail. 

To opt out of receiving offers of credit in the 

mail that are based on your credit report, call: 

1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). The 

nationwide consumer reporting companies 

use the same toll-free number to let you opt 

out of receiving credit offers based on their lists. 

Note: You will be asked to provide your SSN, 

which the consumer reporting companies 

need to match you with your file.

Don’t carry your SSN card in your wallet; store 

it in a secure place. 

Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary, 

and ask to use other types of identifiers. If your 

state uses your SSN as your driver’s license 

number, ask to substitute another number. 

Do the same if your health insurance company 

uses your SSN as your policy number. 

Carry only the identification information and the 

credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need 

when you go out. If your wallet is stolen – or if 

you lose it – report it immediately to the card 

issuers and the local police.

Be cautious when responding to promotions. 

Identity thieves may create phony promotional 

offers to get you to give them your personal 

information.

Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work; 

do the same with copies of administrative forms 

that have your sensitive personal information. 
11

When ordering new checks, pick them up 

from the bank instead of having them mailed 

to your home.

CONSIDER YOUR COMPUTER 

Your computer can be a goldmine of personal 

information to an identity thief. Here are some 

ways to help you keep your computer – and the 

personal information it stores – safe.

 • Update your virus protection software 

regularly; install patches for your operating 

system and other software programs to 

protect against intrusions and infections 

that can lead to the compromise of your 

computer files or passwords. Ideally, you 

should set your virus protection software 

to update automatically. The Windows XP 

operating system also can be set to check 

for patches automatically and download 

them to your computer. 

 • Do not open files sent to you by strangers, 

click on hyperlinks, or download programs 

from people or companies you don’t know. 

Be cautious about using file-sharing programs. 

Opening a file could expose your system 

to a computer virus or a program known 

as “spyware,” which could capture your 

passwords or any other information as 

you type it into your keyboard.

 • Use a firewall program, especially if you use 

a high speed Internet connection like cable, 

DSL or T-1 that leaves your computer 

connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. 

The firewall program allows you to stop 

uninvited access to your computer. 
12

Without it, hackers can take over your 

computer, access the personal information 

stored on it, or use it to commit other crimes.

 • If you need to provide your personal 

or financial information through an 

organization’s website, look for indicators 

that the site is secure, like a lock icon on 

the browser’s status bar or a URL for a 

website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands 

for secure). Unfortunately, no indicator 

is foolproof; some fraudulent sites have 

forged security icons.

 • Try not to store financial information on 

your laptop unless absolutely necessary. 

If you do, use what experts call a “strong” 

password – a combination of letters (upper 

and lower case), numbers, and symbols. 

A good way to create a strong password is 

to think of a memorable phrase and use the 

first letter of each word as your password, 

converting some letters into numbers. 

For example, “I love Felix; he’s a good 

cat,” would become 1LFHA6c. Don’t use 

an automatic log-in feature that saves your 

user name and password, and always log 

off when you’re finished. If your laptop is 

stolen, it makes it harder for a thief to access 

your personal information. 

 • Before you dispose of a computer, delete all 

the personal information it stored. Deleting 

files using the keyboard or mouse commands 

or reformatting your hard drive may not be 

enough because the files may stay on the 

computer’s hard drive, where they may be 

retrieved easily. Use a “wipe” utility program 

to overwrite the entire hard drive.
13

 • Look for website privacy policies, and read 

them. They should answer questions about 

maintaining accuracy, access, security, and 

control of personal information collected 

by the site, how the information will be used, 

and whether it will be provided to third 

parties. If you don’t see a privacy policy – or 

if you can’t understand it – consider doing 

business elsewhere. 

A SPECIAL WORD ABOUT 

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS

Your employer and financial institutions need 

your SSN for wage and tax reporting purposes. 

Other businesses may ask you for your SSN 

to do a credit check if you are applying for a 

loan, renting an apartment, or signing up for 

utilities. Sometimes, however, they simply 

want your SSN for general recordkeeping. 

If someone asks for your SSN, ask: 

 • Why do you need it? 

 • How will it be used? 

 • How do you protect it from being stolen? 

 • What will happen if I don’t give it to you? 

If you don’t provide your SSN, some businesses 

may not provide you with the service or benefit 

you want. Getting satisfactory answers to 

your questions will help you to decide 

whether you want to share your SSN with 

the business. The decision to share is yours.
14

ACTIVE DUTY FRAUD ALERTS

If you are a member of the military and away 

from your usual duty station, you may place 

an active duty alert on your credit reports 

by contacting any one of the three major 

consumer reporting companies. Active duty 

alerts can help minimize the risk of identity 

theft while you are deployed. To place an alert 

on your credit report, or to have it removed, 

you will have to provide appropriate proof 

of your identity, including your SSN, name, 

address, and other personal information 

requested by the consumer reporting company. 

You may use a personal representative to 

place or remove an alert. 

Active duty alerts are in effect on your 

report for one year. If your deployment 

lasts longer, you can place another alert 

on your credit report. 

When a business sees the alert on your credit 

report, they must verify your identity before 

issuing any credit. As part of this verification 

process, the business may try to contact 

you directly. Be sure to keep your contact 

information updated, or you may experience 

delays if you are applying for new credit.

When you place an active duty alert on your 

credit report, you’ll also be removed from 

the credit reporting companies’ marketing 

list for prescreened credit card offers for 

two years unless you ask to be put back 

on the list before then. 
15

IF YOUR PERSONAL 

INFORMATION HAS 

BEEN LOST OR STOLEN 

If you’ve lost personal information or identification, 

or if it has been stolen from you, you can minimize 

the potential for identity theft if you act quickly.

 • Financial accounts: Close accounts, like 

credit card and bank accounts, immediately. 

When you open new accounts, place passwords 

on them. Avoid using 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.

 • Social Security number: Call the toll-free 

fraud number of any of the three nationwide 

consumer reporting companies and place 

an initial fraud alert on your credit reports 

(see page19). An alert can help stop someone 

from opening new credit accounts in 

your name. 

 • Driver’s license/other government-issued 

identification: Contact the agency that issued 

the license or other identification document. 

Follow its procedures to cancel the document 

and to get a replacement. Ask the agency to 

flag your file so that no one else can get a 

license or any other identification document 

from them in your name. 
16

Once you have taken these precautions, watch 

for signs that your information is being misused, 

and that your identity has been stolen. 

If your information 

has been misused, file 

a report about the theft 

with the police, and file 

a complaint with the 

FTC, as well. If another 

crime was committed – for 

example, if your purse or 

wallet was stolen or your 

house or car was broken 

into – report it to the 

police immediately.
17

IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS: 

IMMEDIATE STEPS

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the 

following four steps as soon as possible, and 

keep records of your conversations and copies 

of all correspondence. You also should get a 

copy of the FTC publication, Take Charge: Fighting

Back Against Identity Theft, a comprehensive 

guide that describes what to do, your legal 

rights, how to handle specific problems you 

may encounter on the way to clearing your 

name, and what to watch for in the future. 

The guide also includes the ID Theft Affidavit 

to help you report information to many 

companies. For more information, see 

www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, 

and review your credit 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 consumer reporting companies 

below 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 place an alert on their 

versions of your report, too.

 • Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; 

www.equifax.com; 

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

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

www.experian.com; 

P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
18

 • 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 in your file, 

you’re entitled to order free copies of your 

credit reports, and, 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 

contacted, 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 

are correct. If you find fraudulent or inaccurate 

information, contact the consumer reporting 

companies to get it removed. 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.
19

FRAUD ALERTS

 • 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 could 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. 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. 

 • 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” (see page 20). When 

you place an extended alert on your credit 

report, you’re entitled to two free credit reports

within 12 months from each of the three 

nationwide consumer reporting companies.

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: that may include your SSN, name, address,

and other personal information requested by the 

consumer reporting company.

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.
20

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. There is no federal 

law requiring a federal agency to take a report about 

identity theft; however, some state laws require 

local police departments to take reports. When 

you file a report, provide as much information as you

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). 

That is, they may ask you to provide information or

documentation in addition to that included in the 

law enforcement report to verify your identity theft.

They must make their request within 15 days of 

receiving your law enforcementreport, or, if you 

already obtained an extended fraud alert on your 

credit report, the date you submit your request to

the consumer reporting company for information

blocking. The consumer reporting company and 

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. You will have to resubmit your identity

theft report with the correct information. 
21

2. Close the accounts that you know, 

or believe, have been tampered with 

or opened fraudulently.

Call and speak to 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, return receipt requested, 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 on your accounts, or on fraudulently 

opened accounts, ask the company for the 

forms to dispute those transactions.

 • For charges and debits on existing 

accounts, ask the representative to send 

you the company’s fraud dispute forms. 

If the company doesn’t have special 

forms, write a letter to dispute the 

fraudulent charges or debits. In either 

case, write to the company at the address 

given for “billing inquiries,” NOT the 

address for sending your payments. 
22

 • For new unauthorized accounts, ask if 

the company accepts the ID Theft 

Affidavit. If not, ask the representative 

to send you the company’s fraud dispute 

forms. If the company already has 

reported these accounts or debts 

on your credit report, dispute this 

fraudulent information. 

 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 is your best 

proof 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. 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.
23

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.consumer.gov/idtheft. If you don’t have 

Internet access, call the FTC’s Identity Theft 

Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); 

TDD: 202-326-2502; or write: 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.
24

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The FTC publishes a series of publications about 

the importance of personal information privacy. 

To request free copies of brochures, visit 

ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

Avoiding Credit and Charge Card Fraud

Credit Card Loss Protection Offers: They’re The 

Real Steal

Credit, Debit and ATM Cards: What To Do If They’re 

Lost or Stolen

Electronic Banking

Fair Credit Billing

Fair Debt Collection

File-Sharing: A Fair Share? Maybe Not

How Not to Get Hooked by a ‘Phishing’ Scam

How to Dispute Credit Report Errors 

Site-Seeing on the Internet: A Traveler’s Guide 

to Cyberspace

Spyware

Your Access to Free Credit Reports
25

PRIVACY POLICY

When you contact the FTC with complaints or 

requests for information, you can do it online 

at www.consumer.gov/idtheft; by telephone, 

toll free at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); or by 

mail: Federal Trade Commission, Identity Theft 

Clearinghouse, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 

Washington, DC 20580. 

The information you send is entered into the 

Identity Theft Clearinghouse, an electronic 

database. The Clearinghouse is a system of 

records covered under the Privacy Act of 1974. 

In general, the Privacy Act prohibits unauthorized 

disclosures of the records it protects. It also 

gives individuals the right to review records 

about themselves. Learn more about your 

Privacy Act rights and the FTC’s Privacy Act 

procedures by contacting the FTC’s Freedom 

of Information Act Office: 202-326-2430; 

ftc.gov/foia/privacy_act.htm.

The information you submit is shared with FTC 

attorneys and investigators. It also may be shared 

with employees of various federal, state, or local 

law enforcement or regulatory authorities, and 

with some private entities, such as consumer 

reporting companies and any companies you may 

have complained about, when it believes that 

doing so might help resolve identity theft-related 

problems. You may be contacted by the FTC 

or any of the agencies or private entities to 

which your complaint has been referred. In 

some circumstances, including requests from 

Congress, the FTC may be required by law to 

disclose information you submit.
26

You have the option to submit your information 

anonymously. However, if you do not provide 

your name and contact information, law 

enforcement agencies and other organizations 

will not be able to contact you for more 

information to help in identity theft investigations 

and prosecutions.
NOTES:
NOTES:

1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338)

www.consumer.gov/idtheft