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If You're Targeted

If you believe you have become a target for identity theft, there are several things you can do right away to try to minimize the impact.

Protection for Financial Information

If you are concerned that a credit card has been compromised, contact the credit card company immediately. They will probably suggest that you close your current account and will assist you in reissuing you a new account and transferring your balance. The sooner you contact the company the better position you will be in regarding the elimination of wrongful charges to your account.

If your bank or bank account has been compromised, speak with your institution about changing all passwords and moving your money to a new account. The same should be done for any brokerage, mortgage or other account that you have with the institution.

Keep passwords on any account you have with your bank or credit card company. Try to avoid obvious passwords like the last four digits of your social security number, mother's maiden name, phone number, birthday or any series of consecutive numbers.

Protection for Social Security Numbers

Start by placing an "initial fraud alert" on your credit reports. This can help stop a criminal from opening a new account under your name. To place a fraud alert, contact any one of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies:

An 'Initial Fraud Report' will stay on your credit report for 90 days and will alert any credit company looking to issue a new account in your name. More information about your credit report can be found below.

If there is incorrect or suspicious activity on your account, correct it right away. Basic information such as name, address, employer and your social security number can be corrected easily. You can also petition the credit reporting agency to remove any damaging information that is caused by identity theft. Save information from your bank or credit card company to support your request to have this information expunged from your credit report.

Protection for Government-Issued ID

If you have a government-issued ID, such as military id or a driver's license, that is stolen you will need to contact the agency that issued it as soon as possible. Ask the agency to cancel the stolen document and issue you a replacement. You should also ask the agency to "flag" your name to keep someone else from having another id issued in your name.

As with other types of theft, pay attention to unusual activity on your account. If your statements are late, or stop coming, follow up with your bank or credit card to make sure your address of record has not been changed. When you do get bank or credit card statements, review them thoroughly to make sure there are no unexpected charges or withdrawals. Check your credit report after a month or two to check for incorrect information or fraudulent activity.

If you have been the victim of any kind of identity theft, remember:

More information can be found by reading the FTC's suggestions: Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity
Theft. The site includes detailed information on other steps to take in the wake of various forms of identity theft.

Important information about your credit report:

Everyone has the option of ordering one free credit report from one of the three major credit reporting agencies once in the course of a year. If your personal information was stolen wait at least one month prior to requesting this report; it will take that long for suspicious activity to appear. Request a copy of your credit report every few months in the first year of the theft, and once a year thereafter.

Remember to check basic information in your credit report, such as name, address, employer and your social security number. You can also petition the credit reporting agency to remove any damaging information that is caused by identity theft. Save information from your bank or credit card company to support your request to have this information expunged from your credit report.

For more information on getting your credit reports free once a year, or buying additional reports, please read the FTC's guidelines for credit reporting at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm. Note that only one site, https://www.annualcreditreport.com/, is authorized to complete this transaction. For more information about this, please review the FTC's guidelines about Imposter Websites.


Remember, the sooner you act the more control you will have over the situation and the more you will be able to keep the danger and inconvenience to a minimum.