What to Do if You Are the Victim of Identity Theft

Identity theft is a prevalent and devastating crime. If your personal information is stolen, do you know what to do?

The has provided the following list about what steps you should take if you find you have been victimized:

 File a police report

• Get the police report number for verification of the crime. Other police forces in the Perkiomen Valley area are the and the troopers at the .

Contact the national credit bureaus

• Report the identity theft, and request a "fraud alert" to ensure you will be contacted before any new account is opened or existing account is changed.
• Request copies of credit reports and carefully review them. Identify any new accounts that may have been opened, paying particular attention to the section that lists inquiries from new companies. Immediately contact these companies and have them remove any pending or new accounts from their system.
Note: Credit bureaus must provide free copies of credit reports to victims of identity theft.

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

• Call 877-438-4338 or visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft
• Use the FTC’s ID Theft Affidavit, a standard form that helps victims simplify the identity theft reporting process.

Contact the Social Security Administration

• Call 800-269-0271 or visit www.ssa.gov if it appears someone is using your Social Security information to obtain credit.

Contact banks and financial institutions

• Report unauthorized use of credit and/or debit cards.
• Stop or cancel any card or account that has been compromised.
• Have your bank or other financial institution change your account and issue new cards.

Contact the U.S. Postal Inspectors

• Do this if your mail was stolen or someone fraudulently changes your address.

Visit www.identitytheft.org for information about how to regain credit.