Debt Harassment

Guide for Identity Theft Victims

What To Do If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft

There are a number of steps identity theft victims should follow after discovering their personal information has been stolen or compromised. The following steps apply to nearly all types of identity theft cases:

Step One: Report the identity theft to the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus.

• Ask the credit bureaus to place a "fraud alert" on your credit report.
• Request copies of your credit reports so you can examine them for fraudulent charges or new, unauthorized accounts opened under your name.
• Ask the creditors to contact you before opening new accounts or changing current ones.

Contact information for the three major credit bureaus:

Equifax P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 To order your report: 1-800-685-111 To report fraud: 1-800-525-6285 TDD: 1-800-255-0056 www.equifax.com	Experian P.O. Box 9532 Allen, TX 75013 To order your report: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) To report fraud: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) TDD: 1-888-972-0322 www.experian.com
TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92634-6790 To order your report: 1-800-888-4213 To report fraud: 1-800-680-7289 TDD: 1-877-553-7803 www.transunion.com

Step Two: Contact the fraud department of each of your creditors.

• Collect contact information for each of your credit accounts, including credit cards, cable bills and utilities, and speak with each fraud department.
• Report the identity theft to each creditor, even if that account has not been affected. Close each account that has been compromised. Ask the credit bureaus to place a "fraud alert" on every open account.
• Follow up in writing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) supplies an Identity Theft Affidavit, which can be used to report new, unauthorized accounts opened with your stolen information. Check with the company to determine if they will accept the Affidavit.
• Keep a written record of every conversation you have with the fraud departments. Follow up your phone call with a written confirmation, including documents that serve as proof to your claim.

Contact the FTC at 1-877-IDTHEFT and ask for a copy of the brochure "Identity Crime: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name." This brochure provides extensive information on resolving credit problems. You can find the brochure at the FTC website (www.ftc.gov). If you do not have access to a computer, you can send a written request for the brochure to:

Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20580

Step Three: Contact your bank or financial institution.

• If your checks have been stolen, or if you suspect they have been used, call your bank or credit union and place stop payments on the compromised checks. To be safe, place stop payments on checks that are missing.
• Call the major check verification companies and ask that they tell retailers who use their databases not to accept your checks because they may be stolen. Contact information for major check verification companies are as follows:

TeleCheck: 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188
Cetergy, Inc.: 1-800-437-5120
International Check Services: 1-800-631-9656

• Dial 1-800-262-7771 to find out if stolen checks have been passed in your name.
• If you believe your accounts have been compromised, cancel the accounts and obtain new numbers.
• Change direct deposits that are linked to your compromised accounts.

Step Four: Report the identity theft to law enforcement officials.

• File a report with the law enforcement agency holding jurisdiction over the area where the identity theft took place. Get a case number for the file.
• Upon filing the report, provide relevant documentation including copies of debt collection letters, credit reports and the Identity Theft Affidavit.
• Ask for a copy of the police report. Your creditor may ask to see a copy of the report to remove the fraudulent debts.

Generally, identity theft cases are hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt because of a lack of sufficient physical evidence. This is mostly due to standard business policies. Businesses may be unable to obtain necessary evidence, such as surveillance or receipts. In addition, they may lack physical contact with the identity thief.

In some cases, you may receive information about the perpetrator, such as an e-mail address used to commit the identity theft. While this small piece of information may not end in an arrest or referral to the State Attorney's Office, you should report this information to the law enforcement agency where you filed the initial police report. Evidence must show that the suspected identity thief is, beyond reasonable doubt, the individual who committed the identity theft.

Additional Identity Theft Help:

•  File a complaint with the FTC's Identity Theft Clearinghouse. Complaint information is entered into a database, which can be accessed by Florida law enforcement agencies and the Attorney General. Contact the Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT.

•  Flag your Florida Driver's License. The Fraud Section of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) can put a flag on your driver's license if you are a victim of identity theft, even if your driver's license has not been compromised. You can contact the DHSMV at (850) 488-4579 or send a written request to:

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
DDL/BDI - Fraud Section, Room A327
Neil Kirkman Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0570

If the identity thief used your information to obtain a Florida driver's license or ID card, the DHSMV will launch a fraud investigation. To initiate such an investigation, download the DHSMV Identity Theft Report Form from the DHSMV website.

•  Contact Florida's Fraud Hotline for assistance. Call 1-866-NO-SCAM to find additional help for identity theft victims.

•  An identity theft victim may have a criminal record for a crime they did not commit. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) can offer a Compromised Identity Review to determine which, if any, criminal charges belong to you. It can also determine whether any arrest records have been falsely associated with you as a result of identity theft. If the review determines you were a victim of identity theft, the FLDE will work with local law enforcement to clear fraudulent criminal charges. For more information, call the FDLE at (850) 410-8880 or visit the FDLE website.

•  Remove personal information from Florida court records. You have the right to request the Clerk of the Court or County Records to remove your social security number, bank account number or credit card number from any picture or copy of an official record that has been put on the Clerk's or County Recorder's website or in a court file. If you suspect your personal information is included in a publicly available record, contact your local Clerk of the Court's Office.

•  Report mail theft to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The USPIS will launch an investigation if your mail has been stolen by an identity thief, who then obtained new credit or committed fraud with your information. Mail theft should be reported to your nearest U.S. Postal Inspection Service District office.

•  Report passport fraud to the U.S. Department of State. If your passport is lost or stolen, or you suspect it has been used fraudulently, speak with your local Department of State field office.

•  Keep your social security number safe. Do not supply your social security number unless it is absolutely necessary. Ask to use a different personal identifier instead.

•  Handle your mail carefully. Take outgoing mail to the post office or a postal collection box instead of leaving it in your mailbox. Also, promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you are going away, place a vacation hold on your mail.

•  Shred your charge receipts, medical bills, bank statements or any other items with personal information.

•  Properly dispose of your computer. Before throwing out a computer, remove all personal information from the machine. Be cautious, as files may remain on the hard drive after being "deleted." Use a "wipe" utility to overwrite the hard drive.

•  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do not respond to phone solicitations for credit or similar offers. An identity thief may create a bogus offer to collect your personal information.

Helpful Links for Identity Theft Victims:

United States Secret Service

• The US Secret Service investigates financial crimes, which may include identity theft, where the dollar loss is substantial.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

• The FBI investigates cases of identity theft, bank fraud, mail fraud, fraud against the government, and terrorism.

Social Security Administration: Identity Theft and your Social Security Number

FDLE's Compromised Identity Services

Florida's Attorney General's Identity Theft Resource Center

Filing a report with the FTC

FTC Brochure: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft