What to Do If You Become a Victim of Identity Theft

by Bernard Pragides

If you have had identity theft or frauds occur, there are some steps to take to report the fraudulent activity. And there are steps to follow to retake control of your life.  Follow each according to the information you have about the fraudulent activity.

1. Being by calling in and reporting whatever information you have to your local authorities, even if it’s online fraud. Law enforcement may want to send out someone to take a report or ask you to come in to file one.
2. If there was a company involved in the fraud and you have information about them, contact the Better Business Bureau and fill out a report. This can be down quickly and easily online by starting at: http://www.bbb.org .
3. Along with #2 above, contact the Attorney General’s Office for that state in the U.S.A. Simply key in “attorney general office of (state you are in)” to search engines for online information and complaint / fraud forms.
4. If the fraud occurred via the telephone, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling toll-free: 1-877-ID THEFT (877-438-4338); TDD at 202-326-2502. Contact them by mail in care of the: Consumer Response Center, FTC; 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.; Washington, DC 20580, USA.
5. If the fraud involved the post office, contact them for more information. Their website with plenty of contact details is at: http://www.usps.com or call them at: General Information 1-800-ASK-USPS® or (800) 275-8777.
6. If any checks were involved in fraudulent activity, contact your bank and close the account immediately. Then follow up with any of the following check companies involved as needed (ask your banker or accountant):Equifax — (800) 437-5120 CrossCheck — (800) 552-1900 CheckRite — (800) 766-2748 ChexSystems — (800) 428-9623 National Processing Co. (NPC) — (800) 526-5380 TeleCheck — (800) 710-9898 SCAN — (800) 262-7771
7. If you believe or know that your social security number has been compromised, contact the Social Security Administration at:Social Security Administration Office of Public Inquiries
   Windsor Park Building
   6401 Security Blvd.
   Baltimore, MD 21235

   Call 800-269-0271 http://www.ssa.gov

8. If you need to inform the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), they have a procedure, their “1.13 IRS Procedures: Reporting Fraud” online at: http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq1-13.html for more details and how to file a report. Write to them in care of:Internal Revenue Service Fresno, CA 93888
9. Print out this list for emergencies and handy reference. And share it with your friends and loved ones to protect and help them in the event of identity fraud and theft.

About the Author

Bernard Pragides is an author and offers expert advice and tips regarding identity theft. Please visit his site http://www.IdentityProtek.com for more helpful information