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Things to Do if You are Already a Victim of Identity Theft

But what if you have already tried every safety measure and you still became a victim of identity theft? What do you do?

The good news is that unlike before, battling identity theft is no longer a one-man mission. These days, help is already available to victims of this crime. You can even find dozens of resources on identify online. In addition to these resources, here are a number of things you can do if you find yourself in the midst of an identity theft mess:

1.Keep notes of all conversations and expenses concerning the identity theft. A notebook where you can jot down all these will be helpful. Doing this is important so that you become eligible for reimbursement if your thief is caught and prosecuted

2.Inform the credit bureaus of the fraud. Once you contacted the credit bureaus, ask them to add a fraud alert to your file. The alert should be for seven years and nothing shorter.

3. Inform your creditors. If the identity theft involved using your existing bank or credit card account, you should contact your creditors right away so that they can close it and issue you a new one. In addition, you should also fill out a fraud affidavit (available at the Federal Trade Commission website) to be submitted to your creditors. The fraud affidavit will make sure that you do not become responsible for any debt by the identity fraudster.

4. Inform the police right away. More often than not, a police affidavit is required as an attachment to a fraud affidavit. To make sure that law enforcers take your identity case seriously, bring as much documentation of the crime as you can.

5. Inform collection agencies. Under FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act) legislation, it is illegal for fraudulent account to be handed to collections. However, this does not mean that this kind of thing will not happen. If you are a victim of identity theft, you should inform the collection agencies right away.

6. Seek legal help. Sometimes, dealing with identity theft on your own can be very time-consuming, most especially if you are not aware of the existing laws about it. As such, it would be best to hire a lawyer who can assist you through the entire ordeal.

7. Get support. Identity theft takes place everyday and you are not its only victim. Dealing with this crime can be distressing but it helps to remind yourself that you are not alone. Seek support from those people who have gone through the same ordeal as you.

8. Last but not the least, do not give up and stand up for yourself. Do not pay debts that are not yours and do not file for bankruptcy. If creditors threaten to take you to court, tell them that threatening you is a violation of federal laws regarding debt collection and credit reporting. If they still harass you, report your creditors to the FTC and to your lawyer.

 

Indeed, identity theft is a rapid-growing crime. And it will continue to be such if people will not do something about it. Getting yourself well-informed about identity theft is one of the first steps towards putting a stop to it.

 

Further Reading: See below for more information on Identity Theft

Introduction: Identity Theft
Identity Theft And Your Credit
How An Identity Is Stolen
Preventing Identity Theft