WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR IDENTITY IS STOLEN

1. Contact the fraud departments of each of the three national credit bureaus.

Report the theft of your existing credit cards and account numbers, new credit accounts the impostor opened with your name and ask the credit bureaus to IMMEDIATELY fax or mail you a copy of your credit report to determine fraudulent accounts. PLACE A FRAUD ALERT ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT with each credit bureau. You can also add a statement to your credit report, such as "My ID was used to apply for credit fraudulently." Ask the credit bureaus to remove inquiries that were generated due to the fraudulent access to your ID and to notify whoever received your credit report during the past six months to alert them to disputed and erroneous information. Be sure to check your credit report with the credit bureaus every three months to monitor any new fraudulent accounts opened with your ID.

2. Contact the creditors for all accounts that were tampered with and opened fraudulently.

Contact by phone and writing (preferably certified mail, return receipt) all creditors with whom your ID was used fraudulently. Creditors include credit card companies, phone companies, banks, credit unions, utilities, health insurers, etc. For current tampered accounts, immediately close the accounts and get replacement cards, numbers, etc. Ask that current accounts be reported to the credit bureaus as "account closed at consumer's request." If your California driver's license or ID card was used fraudulently, call (866) 658-5758 or email: dfraud@dmv.ca.gov. If your securities investments or brokerage account were tampered with, contact:

SEC Complaint Center
www.SEC.gov/complaint.shtml
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20549-0213
Tel (800) 732-0330
Fax (202) 942-9634

3. File a police report.

Report the crime to all police and sheriff's departments with jurisdiction over your case. Give as much documented proof as possible and list all fraudulent accounts. Be sure to get a copy of the police reports. Keep the name and phone number of the fraud investigators handy and give that information to creditors that require verification of your case. The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 provides that you are entitled to copies of any police reports. It is both a state and federal crime to steal someone else's identity.

4. Dispute false civil and criminal judgments.

At times, victims of identity theft are wrongfully accused of crimes committed by the impostor, or civil judgments are entered against the impostor using your ID. Contact all courts where judgments were entered and report that you were the victim of identity theft. If criminal judgments were taken, contact the State Department of Justice and the FBI, and ask to clear your name.

5. Cope with the emotional stress.

Counseling may aid with the incredible stress and anxiety experienced by victims of identity theft. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Contact the Public Interest Research Group in your area, CALPIRG or the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse for information on how to contact other victims of identity theft. Most of all, do not give up. Do not pay any portion of a bill fraudulently obtained with your ID, do not file for bankruptcy and inform all collection agencies of your willingness to cooperate to remedy the theft of your ID.

For more information, check out IdentityTheft.org