I. D. Theft – Straightening Out Your Credit In The Result

By Sharon Collier

FBI statistics reveal that ID theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U. S. , with roughly 1 in 5 families in the U.S. Being a victim of ID theft. ID theft is obtaining somebody else's private information (e.g, name, social security number, Mastercard number, passport) without that person’s information and using that info dishonestly. For someone who discovers they are a victim of I. D. theft, it is very important to act fast. Here are some immediate steps to take in order to stop further misuse and to revive your good credit:

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the 3 credit reporting corporations to put a crime alert on your credit report. When a fraud alert is placed on your credit reports, creditors will reach you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert, and they are required to contact the other two, which may place a warning on their versions of your report, too. When you place the fraud alert in your file, you are entitled to order free copies of your credit reports. When you receive them, check them over fastidiously for any new accounts that may have been opened without your permission. Also be aware of any new inquiries by banks, lenders and credit card corporations that you weren't familiar with.

2. Report the crime to your local police or sheriff’s office and ask for a police report.

3. Contact your lender, banks, telephone corporations, and power firms and have them freeze your accounts. Banks, Visa card firms and other creditors may require a copy of your police report. You may be liable for a tiny sum of the fraudulent charges; check with each of your card companies for their policies. Most creditors smartly issue replacement cards with new account numbers.

4. Make a complaint with the FTC.

5. Monitor all bank and card statements and other bills carefully to guarantee there are no fake charges. If you find fake checks or withdrawals on your checking account, inform the fraud office of your bank in writing straight away.

Stop payment on any missing checks and/or close your present account. You may advise the check verification firms not to accept further checks under the account number that was thieved. To discover if the identity thief has been passing bad checks in your name, contact SCAN 1800-262-7771.

If unapproved Mastercard charges appear, tell your Visa card company in writing without delay.

6. If you think the burglary concerned your social security number, contact the Social Security Administration. They may re-issue a mislaid social security card or may, under some scenarios, give you a new Social Security ID.

As you know, your credit history is all important. Each precaution must be taken to guard your credit history. When you have your identity straightened out, you could consider joining up with Equifax Credit Watch. Equifax Credit Watch makes monitoring your report simple by instantly cautioning you within 24 hours of key changes in your Equifax Credit History – like when anyone attempts to get credit in your name or there are sudden changes in your ATM card balances. – so you can act before significant damage is done.

Want to know more about how to improve credit score? Visit our site to learn more.

You will also find information about the top credit repair companies as well as our LifeLock review.

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Topics: Identity Theft | Comments Off

Tags: child identity theft, computer identity fraud, computer identity theft, credit identity theft, identity fraud, Identity Theft, Identity Theft Prevention, identity theft protection

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