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The Federal Trade Commission reports that more than 40 percent of their
complaints involve some form of identity theft or identity fraud - their biggest
source of consumer grievance. And while the number of victims has held steady at
around nine million each year, the amount of damages continues to grow: identity
theft amounted to more than fifty six billion dollars in damages during 2006
alone.
But the victims of identity theft are not alone in their struggle
to retain their good credit. They are not defenseless or powerless to fight
back, either. The 1998 Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, which made
identity theft a felony offense, offers clear guidelines how to
proceed.
The first step is to contact one
of three credit bureaus
Consumers who suspect they've been a
victim of identity theft should contact one of the three major credit reporting
agencies - Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion - and request a fraud alert be
placed on their credit report. The fraud alert is good for 90 days and protects
the consumer from certain obligations to the fraudulent charges.
Any
financial or credit accounts that reveal illegal tampering or fraudulent
expenses should be immediately closed.
Next, contact the FTC.
The FTC is the
official government entity for dealing with and assiting consumers through
identity theft. The commission recently unveiled a new Identity Theft Affidavit,
which streamlines the paperwork necessary to file for and obtain FTC recognition
and protection. The affidavit is in turn used with many credit reporting and
debt collection agencies that may be investigating charges and expenses created
illegally by thieves. Consumers can download the affidavit form at
www.ftc.gov/idtheft or by calling 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).
Filing a report with local
police.
Filling a police report is an important step that
shouldn't be overlooked. When making the complaint, bring the FTC affidavit and
any financial records with you as proof of the crime.
Local police
agencies are sometimes slow to investigate identity theft because of its
non-violent nature, but consumers should obtain a copy of the police report as a
tool with which to reconcile complaints from bill collectors and debt collection
agencies.
Contact all other necessary
agencies.
For cases involving mail tampering or fraud, the Postal
Inspection Service provides assistance beginning with a claim form available at
http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/idtheft.aspx.
In cases where a
Social Security card or number has been used illegally, the Social Security
Administration offers help at
https://www.socialsecurity.gov/oig/public_fraud_reporting/form.htm.
The
IRS is available to help consumers straighten out stolen or illegally used tax
information at 1-800-829-1040.
Finally, the nonprofit Identity Theft
Resource Center offers free help to consumers, including a variety of strategies
and planning methods to resolve identity theft damages as quickly as possible.
Consumers should email them at victims@idtheftcenter.org or call its Victim
Assistance Center at (858) 693-7935.
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