Identity Theft Recovery

Identity theft recovery isn't easy, and if you are a victim of identity theft you may have a lot of work ahead to repair your credit and your life. Fortunately, most cases are simple credit card fraud, but depending on the severity of the identity theft, you may be spending a lot of time getting your life back together. Again, the time spent repairing your identity theft is something you will never get back. I highly recommend you seek the service of identity theft recovery experts to help you out. They will do most of the work for you and eliminate many of your headaches.

Here is a list of things you should do if you are a victim of identity theft...

1.Notify Credit Bureaus Call one of the three credit agencies: Experian, Transunion, or Equifax. Talk to their fraud department and tell them what happened. Once you notify one credit bureau, they will notify the other two for you. Also, make sure you get a fraud alert placed on your credit. Creditors will then call you when they extend credit to you to confirm YOU made the application and not a thief.

www.experian.com/fraud 888-397-3742

www.transunion.com 888-680-7289

www.equifax.com 888-766-0008

Request a free copy of your credit report. Since you are a victim of identity theft and in the process of identity theft recovery, they will provide you with a free report. When you receive the report, examine it closely and look for anything that should not be there. If there is a problem, notify the credit bureaus in writing. They could guide you through this process. Once they have this information, any erroneous or false information will be taken off your record.

2. Monitor your credit To ensure false information does not get placed on your credit report, monitor your report each month. There are many resources to get a free report that you can check once or twice a year, but since your identity was stolen, it needs constant monitoring. I use www.truecredit.com to monitor my credit report. It is $15 a month and they provide you with a VERY comprehensive report. You will not find better reports through a free service. Sure you have to spend some money, but it is WORTH IT.

3. Consider a security freeze on your credit This is similar to a fraud alert, but stronger. It prevents ANYONE from checking your credit without your permission.

A credit freeze is provided in most, but not all states. Check the transunion website to see if your state is represented. If you are a victim of identity theft, it will be a free service.

4. Report the crime to your local police department Make sure you report the identity theft to your local police department. Its a good idea to give them as much documented evidence as possible, this will help them in their investigation. They will give you an official report entitled, "identity theft report." Some creditors may request the report during the restoration process.

5. Report to the Federal Trade Commission Contact the FTC at 877-438-4338 or www.consumer.gov/idtheft The FTC will likely request you identity theft report reference number for verification. The FTC shares information with agencies that investigate identity theft, although they do not investigate themselvs.

6. New accounts opened by the criminals When you check your credit report and notice they have opened new credit cards in your name, contact those creditors immediately. Contact them by phone and also send a written notice. Have the creditors send you the forged application and associated documents that the criminal used to get the card. The creditor will likely ask you to sign a fraud affidavit. The FTC provides this document that most creditors accept. They will also ask for your identity theft report issued by the police department. Once the issue is resolved with the creditor, ask for a letter stating that the disputed account is closed and the debts are negated. Dont forget to notify the credit bureaus of the new and closed account. Follow the instructions in number 1 above.

7. Debt Collectors If you get harrassed by debt collectors over nonpayment of a fraudulent account contact the collection agency immediately. Tell them you are a victim of fraud and are in the process of identity theft recovery. Make sure you tell them in writing too. Again, they may ask for the identity theft report and other documentaion. Also find out who the creditor is that is attempting to collect the debt. When the issue is resolved, request in writing, that the collection agency send you a letter, confirming you do not owe the debt.

8. Problems with your existing accounts Again, you probably guessed that you need to contact the creditor in writing that you are a victim of fraud. Request replacement cards with new account numbers.

9. Checking and bank fraud If you had checks stolen or fraudulent accounts set up, notify your bank and tell them to report this to ChexSystems, which is an agency that compiles reports on checking accounts. The bank will ask you to fill out a fraud affidavit. Close your checking accounts and set up new account with new account numbers. Tell the bank to put "stop payments" on any checks you are unsure about.

10. ATM and Debit cards If you think your ATM or debit card has been stolen, report it immediately to your bank both over the phone and in writing. Fill out a fraud affidavit and get a new card with a new PIN number and account number. Keep a close eye on your account because you may be liable if you dont report stolen money immediately. Make sure you contact them over the phone and in writing if more money is stolen using the card. Under the law you have two days to report a stolen card and will be liable for at most, $50. If you wait and do not report an incident after before 60 days of the theft you will be liable for ANY unauthorized transactions that occur.

11. Mail Fraud You must notify the local postal inspector if you suspect someone of tampering with your mail, or if you think they changed your address. Tell the postal inspector to forward all mail, with your name, to your address. You may also want to talk to your local mail carrier. Reference www.usps.com for more information.

12. Social Security Fraud If someone steals your social security card or number and begins using it, you will likely not receive any assistance from the Social Security Administration. They typically do not aid victims of identity theft. However, you can file a fraud complaint at 800-269-0271. To obtain a new card, go to your local social security office and be sure to go to their website at www.socialsecurity.gov for more information. If you are a victim of social security identity theft, you might want to seek the advice of identity theft recovery experts like prepaid legal or a lawyer familiar with identity theft issues.

13. Phone service A common scenario among identity thieves is to open a cell phone account in your name. If you suspect this has happenned the steps to resolve the issue are similar to those above. Contact your cell phone carrier and request information on how to fix the issue. If you suspect a land line has been used, contact your local phone company that provides this service.

14. Drivers license identity theft Thieves can have many uses of your drivers license and if you suspect they are using your stolen license, or your name on a new license. Contact the DMV and find out if a new license was issued in your name. Some states offer fraud alerts on license'. If your state has a fraud alert, get one placed on your. You'll have to get a new license number and start an investiagation with the DMV. They will likely request documentation like your identity theft report, so bring all your paperwork to the DMV.

15. False criminal charges This is another ugly side to identity theft, but sometimes identity thieves will commit crimes in their victims'names. If you are arrested as a result of such a crime, contact the court in the jurisdiction of the arrest. Contact your state's Department of Justice and the FBI to inquire about steps to clear your name. If a civil judgement is made against you because of an identity theft, contact the court where the judgement was made and inform them of the identity theft. Its unfortunate, but likely the courts wont believe your statements. This is why I highly recommend you get legal help in this case. You can clear your name, but working through the legal system in this case can be difficult for those not familiar with the law. Get an attorney who is familiar with such cases. For more information contact me using the email contact at the bottom of the page. I am not a lawyer, but can get you in the right direction.

16. Keep good records As you can imagine, keeping good records is important in restoring your identity. Keeping track of all your restoration expenses is most beneficial if you have identity theft insurance that may be able to reimburse you for your lost expenses. Keep track of all your phone conversations and TRY to document the time spent to restore your identity. Always keep a close eye on your bank and credit card statements.

17. Legal assistance Depending on the severity of your situation, you may need legal assistance to help get your life back. When a criminal commits a crime in your name, your social security number is stolen, medical identity theft, or even credit card theft, a lawyer could help you through the process. For affordable legal assistance, visit this website provided by prepaid legal ,or email me with questions.

We just went through 17 steps in identity theft recovery! That is a lot of time, and hopefully not a lot of money spent. You can now see why it takes people so much time to get their lives back to normal. Keep in mind that most of the identity theft protection and prevention programs available, WILL NOT help restore your identity. Remember this when you select your identity theft protection plan. The best way to avoid going through this hassle is to take steps to prevent identity theft AND join a protection plan that monitors your credit and assists in restoration. Also consider getting identity theft insurance to help cover your expenses if you do become a victim. The costs of both an identity theft protection plan and insurance should be under $20 a month. In my opinoin its worth the money to get the extra protection.

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