Truth about identity theft stickley
Truth about identity theft stickley, It happens: you go to a bank to open up a new car loan and the bank reviews your credit history. They come back to you and state that they are sorry but, based on your credit history, you are not eligible for the loan. You think a little while about this. You have always paid your credit card on time, you were never late on your cell phone bill, and you even paid your rent early. How could this have happened?
Many people experience similar situations. I know of someone who received a $5,000 charge on their credit card from EBAY for a PayPal purchase they never made. Others have had their bank account zeroed out unknowingly. These situations occur. What should a person do after their identity has been stolen, in one way or another?
Truth about identity theft stickley. The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, has setup a website to help those who are victims of identity theft (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html). One of the first things they want people to know is that there is something they can do after identity theft. They list four things a victim can do after a theft has occurred.
The first thing an identity theft victim should do is review their credit reports and place a fraud alert on their credit. Three major credit bureaus keep track of credit. Any one of these three organizations will offer to let you see your credit report and also will help you place a fraud notice on your record. Experian (http://www.esperian.com), Equifax (http://www.equifax.com), and TransUnion (http;//www.transunion.com) are three companies willing to help those who are victims of identity theft. Acquiring a credit report from these companies is free when filing a fraud report. Also, because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, every American can review their credit report for free every twelve months by going to http://www.annualcreditreport.com.
The second thing a victim of identity theft should do is to close the accounts they believe have been compromised. If it is the PayPal and Ebay account they believe has been compromised then closing just those is fine. If they believe that the thief has gained more information such as credit card or bank account numbers then each account should be closed. Make sure to report the fraud to each organization before closing the account.
The third thing to do is to file a complaint with the FTC. By calling 1-877-ID-THEFT the FTC will take the information about your theft and will compare it to others that have occurred. The FTC is trying to help law enforcement catch the thieves that victimize many people across the country.
The fourth thing to do is file a report with your local police department, or the local police department where the theft occurred. Police departments can report this type of incident. If possible, get a copy of the report or the report number to help rectify the situation with the bank/organization where the fraud has occurred.
If you are ever the victim of identity theft know that there is something you can do. It is your right to get things corrected and, if you follow the advice of the FTC, you stand a much better chance of recovering from the current theft and defending against future attacks.
Source: isubengal
