Dealing with Indentity Theft, Part III Last week, various national media organizations reported that a New York man was arrested for allegedly stealing millions from celebrities through identity theft. Hopefully, this high profile case will impress upon consumers the importance of protecting personal information. In the first two parts of this series, we examined the prevention of identity theft and the first three steps to take if your identity has been stolen. This week, we will look at action you can take to help prevent the identity thief from striking again.
Identity thieves acquire information in many ways, but stealing mail is the oldest.
If you believe that the identity thief has stolen your mail or filed a false change of address form, it should be reported to the local postal inspector. Identity theft falls under a variety of state and federal laws, and law enforcement officials can bring criminal charges against individuals who commit this crime. You should maintain complete records of every fraudulent charge or account in your name. The more detailed information you can provide law enforcement officials, the easier their job will be. You may have an opportunity to seek restitution from the individual who stole your identity.