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| FRAUD ALERT |
Identity Theft: What to do if you've given your
personal information to a scammer
From the Consumer Fraud Reporting Website
Everyone makes a mistake once in a while, so let's assume you fell for one of the
scammer's cons, and gave him your social security number, a fax of your
passport, a credit card number, etc. What do you do now to prevent further
damage, such as identity theft?
What else should I do if I think my identity has been stolen or compromised?
If you think your identity may have been stolen, here's what to do now. Keep a log
of all conversations including date, name, phone number, and the information
provided:
Also provide a copy of your driver's license to each agency's fraud unit in order
to register an affidavit.
Contact them in writing, via certified receipt request at the post office.
Equifax - 1-800-525-6285
Experian - 1-888-397-3742
Transunion - 1-800-680-7289
If you have seen unauthorized charges: Close the accounts that you know or
believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
You can find links to everything above plus more at my links page.
personal information to a scammer
From the Consumer Fraud Reporting Website
Everyone makes a mistake once in a while, so let's assume you fell for one of the
scammer's cons, and gave him your social security number, a fax of your
passport, a credit card number, etc. What do you do now to prevent further
damage, such as identity theft?
What else should I do if I think my identity has been stolen or compromised?
If you think your identity may have been stolen, here's what to do now. Keep a log
of all conversations including date, name, phone number, and the information
provided:
- DO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE SCAMMERS! They are dangerous
criminals. You can be physically injured and even killed by fraud criminals. Do
not travel to meet them or "claim your winnings". Some people who traveled
to Nigeria and South Africa been beaten, kidnapped, or murdered.
- Contact your bank - If you think you’re a victim of identity theft or account
fraud, you should call your bank, tell them what happened and ask them to
monitor for unusual activity and advice whether you should close the account
and open a new checking or savings account.
- Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit
bureaus (outside of the US may have different agencies) to place a fraud
alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you
before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing
accounts.
Also provide a copy of your driver's license to each agency's fraud unit in order
to register an affidavit.
Contact them in writing, via certified receipt request at the post office.
Equifax - 1-800-525-6285
Experian - 1-888-397-3742
Transunion - 1-800-680-7289
- File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors
and others that may require proof of the crime. Keep a log of all
conversations including date, name, phone number, and the information
provided.
- Obtain new identity documents. If you sent your passport number or faxed
a copy of it to the scammers, or did the same with your driver's license or
other government documents, obtain a new document. Be sure to explain what
happened, so they can cancel your old one and give you a new number. Call the
Social Security Administration and all creditors with whom you have accounts
to let them know you have been the victim of identity theft.
If you have seen unauthorized charges: Close the accounts that you know or
believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
- File your complaint with the FTC. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Call
the FTC’s identity theft hotline toll-free at 1 (877) IDTHEFT or (877)-438-
4338. The hotline is staffed by counselors trained to help victims and take
their complaints. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used
by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps
the FTC learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having
so they we can better assist you.
- File a Financial Loss complaint form online with the Internet Crime
Complaint Center, which is a partnership between the National White Collar
Crime Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- Complete the FTC identity theft affidavit, which will assist you in
reporting to many companies that a new account has been opened in your
name. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.
- Contact your state attorney general to alert them to the scam or fraud
activity.
- Stay current with new scams as they emerge, so you don't have this happen
again.
You can find links to everything above plus more at my links page.
