Consumers should report any irregularities to the company with which they have the account. Consumers should also shred any statements that have personal information before throwing them away. These pre-approved offers can easily be intercepted in the mail and used by identity theives to obtain credit in another person's name. Furthermore, many people discard these pre-approved offers without shredding them. Once identity theft occurs, a nightmare comes true.
Help is available.
Most important is its fact sheet What to do if it happens to you. Making change Don't give in The main steps are for the victim to contact law enforcement authorities and fraud units of all of the credit reporting agencies, then contact all of his or her creditors and service providers. The key is to be persistent but polite. Recordkeeping is essential. There are many other agencies to be notified, depending on the victim's situation and the extent of the theft.