Contact one of the credit reporting agencies’ fraud alert departmentsand place a fraud alert on your credit report. This prevents identity thieves from opening accounts in your name. Many credit card companies offer no-cost fraud protection where you would not be held financially responsible for charges made to your account by thieves who steal your personal information. In order to receive the most protection possible, though, it is important you call one of the credit reporting agencies as soon as you possibly can, even if you aren’t 100 percent sure your identity has been stolen, but may only think it has. Tell the agency you think your identity has been stolen. The agency will ask you to verify your identity with your Social Security number, name, address, and possibly other personal information.  One call does it all. The credit reporting agency you contacted must contact the other two. Each agency will place a fraud alert on their version of your credit report. For the next 90 days, your creditors and other businesses that want to offer you credits will see the alert on your credit report. If anyone asks for credit in your name, the appropriate lender will contact you to verify your identity and find out if you asked for credit. Equifax Fraud Department Call 1-800-525-6285 Visit www.equifax.com Experian Fraud Department Call 1-888-397-3742 Visit www.experian.com TransUnion Fraud Department Call 1-800-680-7289 Visit http://www.transunion.com Contact your lenders, banks, and insurance companiesand let them know the situation. Ask to close accounts. Open new ones with new personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. Victims of identity theft are entitled to a free credit report. Wait about a month before you request it. Some activity may take a while to show up on your report. When you get it look for: Personal information that has changed: your name, date of birth, Social Security number, address, and employer Inquiries from companies you didn’t contact Accounts you didn’t open Debts on your accounts you can’t explain File a police report—it is proof of the crime. If the credit reporting agencies need to investigate fraudulent activity on your report, they will need this police report. Periodically check your credit reportsover the next year to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred. Work with the credit reporting agenciesto remove fraudulent activities from your credit report. Work with your credit card companiesto reverse fraudulent charges to your credit card.