Immediate steps to take if you've been a victim of identity theft

If you have been the target of an identity theft crime, you must act quickly to minimize the damage which can be done to your credit score. Keep a record of everything that happens and all your communications - this can serve as evidence and legal documentation you will need.

Get a copy of your credit report, and put a fraud alert on your credit reports immediately

This is crucial to do immediately. You must stop any further abuses happening by alerting the credit agencies and financial institutions of what has just happened. You just need to contact one of the three major credit agencies to do this, between TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.

Alerting an agency will give you a right to one free copy of your credit report. Review this for any fraudulent behavior and report this back to your credit agency.

Close any accounts that have been compromised

• Contact your financial institutions, and be sure to do it in writing. Keep copies of all communications and documentation that you send them.
• Dispute any fraudulent charges. Banks usually have forms you can fill out for this purpose. It is critical that you do this immediately to avoid further penalties.
• Close any new unauthorized accounts. You can fill out an identity theft affidavit and send it directly to the company with which the account was opened. It is preferable, however to file a police report as this will give you greater protection.
• Get documentation to prove that accounts were closed. Ask the companies in question to send this to you as soon as the accounts have been closed.

Contact the FTC and file a complaint

• Contact the Federal Trade Commission online or call them at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338)
• You can also write them at: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580
• Reporting ID theft helps the FTC catch identity thieves

File a police report

• Filing a report with the police gives you an extra measure of protection since any credit companies will have to stop reporting information about you regarding fraudulent accounts, thereby minimizing damage going forward
• Contact your state Attorney General to find out about state-specific laws and rights
• When reporting to the local police, bring a copy of your FTC complaint form and supporting documentation.
• Have your FTC report and documentation incorporated into the police reports, and obtain a copy which you can send to the credit agencies.