If you unfortunately end up as a victim of identity theft, it is important to act immediately to stop the thief’s further use of your identity. In most of the cases, victims are usually occupied with resolving the problem that they fail to report the identity theft. It is important to act quickly and assertively to minimize the damage.

In dealing with authorities and financial institutions, keep a log of all conversations, dates, names and contact numbers. If possible, note the time spent and any expenses incurred. You may wish to provide your police report number to expedite reporting the crime. It is advisable that you follow the below three steps to report your case of identity theft should you become an identity fraud victim.

Step One:

Report the identity theft case by contacting the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Tell them that you’re an identity theft victim and request that a fraud alert be placed in your file, as well as a victim’s statement asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts. This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name.

At the same time, order copies of your credit reports from the credit bureaus. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if your report is inaccurate because of fraud and you request it in writing. Review your reports carefully to make sure no additional fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or authorized changes made to your existing accounts. In addition, check the section of your report that lists inquires. Where inquiries appear from the companies that opened the fraudulent accounts, request that these inquires be removed from your report. Next, you should order new copies of your reports to verify your corrections and to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred since you reported the identity theft.

Step Two:

The next party to contact for reporting the identity theft crime is any creditor that might have been asked to open fraudulent accounts. Creditors may include phone companies, credit card banks and other lenders. Ask to speak with someone in the security or fraud department at each creditor, and follow up with a letter. It is very important to notify credit card companies in writing because that’s the consumer protection procedure the law spells out for resolving errors on credit card billing statements. Immediately close accounts that have been tampered with and open new ones with replaced PINS and passwords.

Step Three:

File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the police report in case the bank, credit card company or other agencies need proof of the crime. If you report the identity theft to the police, this will help you when dealing with creditors even if the identity thief goes scot-free.

For more information on getting identity theft help, finding a suitable identity theft lawyer or identity theft software, please visit the following website: Identity Theft Resource Guide

Skyjoe. All rights reserved. This article may be freely distributed as long as it remains unaltered inclusive of the active links and the copyright notice. No alteration is allowed without express written permission from the author.

Author: Sky Joe
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
How Electric Pressure Cookers Work