After Identity Theft Checklist

What do you do if your personal information is stolen? Use this checklist to help make recovering from identity theft easier.

Identity theft is the crime of obtaining another person’s personal or financial information with the intention of assuming that person’s identity to commit fraud, usually for financial gain. As a victim of identity theft, you may feel upset and overwhelmed knowing someone has access to your private information. However, recovering from identity theft is possible. By breaking the process down into steps and using the right resources, you’ll protect yourself and move toward life after identity theft.

Eight Steps To Recovery

Call Companies Where Fraud Occurred

• Inform them of the fraud
• Close account (if necessary)
• Change logins, passwords, and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs)

Obtain Credit Report & Set Fraud Alerts

• Visit annualcreditreport.com to obtain a credit report from three major credit reporting bureaus
• Review each report carefully
• Set fraud alerts with each credit reporting bureau

Report ID Theft To Federal Trade Commission

• Visit identitytheft.gov or call 877.438.4338 to complete the Identity Theft Report
• Follow established recovery plan

File A Police Report

• Contact local law enforcement to inform them of theft
• Provide a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report

Correct Credit Report

• Submit disputes to each credit reporting bureau that contains fraudulent account information
• Can be completed online at the credit bureau’s website or by mailing a dispute letter

Consider An Extended Fraud Alert Or Freeze

• Extended fraud alerts last for seven years
• Credit freezes last until you remove them

Contact Social Security Administration

• Create a My Social Security account at ssa.gov
• Review the earnings posted to your record
• Contact Social Security if you see inconsistencies

Contact The Internal Revenue Service (If Applicable)

• Respond immediately to any IRS notice by calling the number provided

Summary

Remember, don’t wait to respond if you’ve been the victim of identity theft. Not only will you limit your liability for the fraudulent transactions, but you may also be able to stop the fraud from making a mess of your life. Feeling uncertain about what to do first is common, but by springing into action and following these eight steps, you’ll be on the road to rebuilding your finances.

Resources