Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The first one you contact will contact the other two. Follow up with a written seven-year Victim statement.

Contact and close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. These may include credit card companies, telephone and cell phone companies, credit unions, and banks. Follow up in writing within thirty days.

If your Service One Credit Union Accounts have been tampered with, close your accounts immediately and stop payment on all unused checks.

To Report Fraudulent use of your checks, contact these organizations:

• Check Rite/ Global payments (800) 638-4600
• SCAN (800) 262-7771
• Tele-Check (800) 710-9898
• Chex Systems (888) 478-6356  or  (800) 842-5880

Ask each creditor if they will accept an ID Theft Affidavit provided by the FTC to report your claim. The ID Theft Affidavit can be used to alert companies when a new account was opened fraudulently in your name.

It is particularly important to follow up with credit card companies in writing.

File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) or
go to the FTC's web site for the complaint form.

If you get a new driver's license and be sure to ask for a new license number. In California, call the DMV DL/ID Fraud Hotline at (866) 658-5758. You should report the fraud to the Social Security Fraud Hot Line: (800) 269-0271

If mail service was used in the fraud, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This agency is helpful if any fraudulent utility bills or apartment leases show up on your credit report. U.S. Postal Inspectors: (800) 372-8347.

Keep a record of your conversations and correspondence. Document the time and money you spend on clearing your name. In some states, any person found guilty of financial identity theft will be ordered to pay restitution to the victim for any financial loss, including lost wages.

You may want to use the form, “Chart Your Course of Action,” to help yourself get organized. Exactly which steps you should take to protect yourself depends on your circumstances and how your identity has been misused.

Useful Resources on the Web
Get a copy of ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Identity Theft