If you have been a victim of identity theft or if you suspect that your identity is in danger, then you need to know how to report identity theft. By reporting identity theft, you will be able to document your problem exactly which makes certain that everything is taken care of properly.
If you wish to report identity theft you will need to know who to speak with. The reason that many identity theft victims don’t report this sort of fraud is because they basically don’t know who to call. Below are the steps you should follow to report identity theft:
First, the Social Security Administration is NOT the right place to contact, even if your Social Security card has been stolen. The SAA is for reporting other fraudulent activities. Instead, you should contact the Federal Trade Commission. They can be reached via phone at the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT or by using their online complaint form – https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.
You should also print out a copy of the online complaint form to incorporate into a police report; this can represent an Identity Theft Report and warrant you certain protection.
However, if your credit card information has been stolen you will want to immediately call your credit card company to inform them about the theft. They will then put a freeze on your card, and probably help you track down the problem.
Other things that need to be done are to place a fraud alert on your credit reports at either TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian. Then order a free report from each of the three bureaus and carefully review your credit reports. Also, close any accounts that you know or think have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
These are the steps that you need to follow if you have become a victim of identity theft. For further protection you should consider an identity theft protection service. Make sure to read up on the various companies or check out Identity Theft Protection Reviews.