Knowledge base on identity theft and the precautions that should be taken
Does any of the following sound familiar?
- A collection agency informs you that you owe a debt that they must collect and this concerns an account you have no knowledge of.
- Some of your expected mail, such as credit card statements, is no longer received.
- You pick up on certain parts of the statement for your credit card that you know you did not purchase.
- You get a call, or maybe a letter, saying that your credit has been approved or denied, for an account you have never heard of.
If any of this sounds familiar, it's possible that identity theft has caught up with you!
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protect your life and your family's from ID theft
keep expenses low as you try to get back to normal
be on top of the situation of a case where ID theft is involved
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The first thing you should do should identity theft be considered the answer is to check your credit report. You are able to pick up a thirty day trial completely free and their web locatio is www.freecreditprofile.com using TrueCredit. All the things you have done previously that had a need for a credit check will show up in this report. If identity theft is involved and a credit check in your name will also show up here.
If you suspect ID theft, report it to the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus: TransUnion - 800-680-7289; Equifax - 800-525-6285; Experian - 888-397-3742. Request that a fraud alert be placed by each department on your credit file. The identity theft will not be brought to a halt, but a slowing down of the criminal activities is the likely result.
You may wish to do likewise at the Federal Trade Commission whose number is 877-438-4338, and the US Postal Inspection Service whose number is 800-772-1213. Should it be that your checks are being made use of in any way that can be described as fraudulent, send a report to all of these: Check Rite - 800-766-2748; Chex System - 800-328-5121; CrossCheck - 800-522-1900; Equifax Telecredit - 800-437-5120; NPC - 800-526-5380; SCAN - 800-262-7771; and finally Tele-Check - 800-366-2425.
And there's more too, a police report should be put on file, and the crime should be reported as being ID theft, where the ID theft crime took place is the area where the report should be made. Get a copy of the report for yourself as insurance against the possibility of someone needing the report further on.
Both your time and your money will be wasted in cases of identity theft. Your liability can be considerably lessened by doing something right away. For instance, if the credit card theft is made a report to the necessary places before the thief uses it, the responsibility will not be yours for any unauthorized charges. If you report the identity theft after the card is used, the limit on what you will be liable for is capped at the $50 mark - even if the card is used to withdraw all of your cash. Therefore, immediately make a report of any ID theft and take back control of your life.
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