Personal Security

If You Are A Victim

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. If you have given out this kind of information to a phisher, you should do the following:

• Report the theft to the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion Corporation, and do the following:
  • Request that they place a fraud alert and a victim's statement in your file.
  • Request a FREE copy of your credit report to check whether any accounts were opened without your consent.
  • Request that the agencies remove inquiries and/or fraudulent accounts stemming from the theft.
• Major Credit Bureaus
  • Equifax - www.equifax.com
    • To order your report, call: 800-685-1111 or write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
    • To report fraud, call: 800-525-6285 and write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
    • Hearing impaired call 1-800-255-0056 and ask the operator to call the Auto Disclosure Line at 1-800-685-1111 to request a copy of your report.
  • Experian - www.experian.com
    • To order your report, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) or write: P.O. Box 2002, Allen TX 75013
    • To report fraud, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) and write: P.O. Box 9530, Allen TX 75013 TDD: 1-800-972-0322
  • Trans Union - www.transunion.com
    • To order your report, call: 800-888-4213 or write: P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022
    • To report fraud, call: 800-680-7289 and write: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634 TDD: 1-877-553-7803
• Notify your bank(s) and ask them to flag your account and contact you regarding any unusual activity:
  • If bank accounts were set up without your consent, close them.
  • If your ATM card was stolen, get a new card, account number and PIN.
• Contact your local police department to file a criminal report.
• Contact the Social Security Administration's Fraud Hotline to report the unauthorized use of your personal identification information.
• Notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of your identity theft.
  • Check to see whether an unauthorized license number has been issued in your name.
• Notify the passport office to be watch out for anyone ordering a passport in your name
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
  • Ask for a free copy of "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen in Your Good Name", a guide that will help you guard against and recover from your theft.
• File a complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC)
  • http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp
  • The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), with a mission to address fraud committed over the Internet.
  • For victims of Internet fraud, IFCC provides a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of a suspected criminal or civil violation.
• Document the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak to regarding the incident. Follow-up your phone calls with letters. Keep copies of all correspondence.

For more information, check some of the following sources:

Identity Theft Help Sites

• http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
• http://www.identity-theft-help.us/
• http://www.identitytheft.org/
• http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html