So you've had your identity stolen. You probably feel anxious, lost and angry. Well, you're not alone.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing threats to America. According to a study by Javelin Strategy and Research, "There were 12.6 million victims of identity theft in 2012 in the United States"
Fortunately, creditors and similar government entities have recognized the seriousness of the threat. hotlines have been set up, the application was created, and the options have been made available for identity theft victims. You have help, and it is only a phone call or click.
Actions You must take immediate
your first priority is to let your creditors know what happened. this way they have a chance to work with you before the consequences get out of hand, leaving you with the blame for the actions of someone else
Follow the steps below :.
- Begin by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your file. A fraud alert requires creditors to contact you before opening new accounts. You do not need to call each of the credit reporting agencies from whom you contact will notify the other two agencies. They will also send you a copy of your review for credit report.
- Equifax - 800 685 111
- Experian - 888.397.3742
- Trans Union - 800.916.8800
- Documenting transactions pain and activity. Collect all the evidence that you can flight and call the police. Filing a police report is crucial, but having documentation to strengthen your relationship is just as important.
- Contact the creditors of all accounts and ask to speak to their departments fraud / security. By working with creditors, they are able to mobilize their resources to protect your account, giving you extra security in the process. It may even be possible to reverse some or all of the unauthorized transactions, the protection of your current assets. The Fair Credit Billing Act requires that you follow written once that contact has been made, so be sure to put this on your list of things to do as soon as possible.
By completing the above three relatively simple steps, you will have given yourself a fighting chance.
credit reporting agencies can recognize that the new accounts or delinquent activities are not your doing, the police can use their resources to track down the author, and creditors can freeze your accounts in order to avoid further theft to occur.
However, while these measures can help short-term, the best treatment method for identity theft is prevention.
plug leaks
Once you have taken care of your short-term safety, it is time for long-term personal safety. Start by closing accounts with billing address has changed and request that future changes to your account requires a password check. By doing so, you can prevent future thieves redirect statements and phone calls about suspicious activities of your attention.
Then, if it seems like your Social Security number was used to obtain government documents or apply for a job, make sure to check that no permanent damage has been done by cooperating with respective organizations.
Since the Social Security numbers can be used to falsify tax information, contact the administration of social security and to check that your reported income are correct. If it seems that your identity has been used to obtain a driving license, contact the motor vehicle department to correct the situation. This is important because a photo ID can be used in less scrupulous establishments to allow additional non-permitted activities.
Preventive Measures
Once these matters have been attended to, it is time to look good data security practices to close the hatches even further.
for all paper documents, the mill is your best friend. Documentation such as credit card offers, billing statements, bank checks and contain your personal information and must be discarded properly. if criminals are comfortable with a little trash. Invest in a good shredder with the ability to shred credit cards as well.
Look for a "level 3" shredder cross-cut level of security, shred documents with multiple pages at different times, and eliminate waste in multiple containers for maximum protection. These steps may seem exaggerated, but a short drive to the gas station dumpster is certainly less hassle than untangle the web of identity theft.
Wireless connections are the next potential target for data theft. When you use a wireless router, make sure you activate the security settings, and never leave your unprotected connection. It is also a good idea to consider using a VPN to prevent snoopers, hackers and other cyber criminals to view your Web browsing activities, instant messages, downloads, credit card information or any other anything you send over any network.
many identity theft incidents occur simply because determined criminals used brute force methods to crack passwords. For this reason, good password practices are an absolute must for any logged in user. The first password length rule is: the more the better
The second rule is to avoid using actual words like "password" or "ilovemywife" .. longer sentences may be a bit safer, but since the technology used to crack passwords actual words queries first, they are less safe than the alternative. This alternative? If mixed use grammatically incorrect statements or misspelled with special characters and numbers (eg "iL0v3myW1F3 # 14309").
Since these sentences using a less calculable logic, they become extremely difficult for software to crack. The ultimate option? A password you do not even know
Routine Maintenance
With all these things in mind, your best tool is perhaps the simplest :. Sensitization. Keep track of your bank statements and request annual credit report. As much as 52% of victims recognize when their identity was stolen by monitoring credit reports and keep an eye on their bank accounts and credit card statements. Remember :. It is always better to be proactive than reactive, especially when so much is at stake
With all these measures in place, you can be assured that you did your best to avoid identity theft from happening again . Keep an eye on your information, protect yourself, and be careful what you put on the Internet. There is a large dark web there, at least now you have a flashlight.
Additional Information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC has a resource page that provides much more information to help you cope with the effects identity theft. Visit Identity Theft Report page of the FTC for more information.
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