Being a victim of identity theft is no fun. If you don’t have identity protection in place already then you’re probably frustrated and at a loss of what to do – especially if you just found out about the crime. Feeling a sense of unease or even despair is not uncommon. Someone completely took advantage of your personal information – and perhaps of your trusting nature.
If your identity theft involved finances, as many identity thefts do, then don’t waste any time in working to recover your funds, and sign up for an identity theft protection service before the opportunity arises for this to happen again. LifeLock Ultimate will even monitor your savings and checking accounts. After this, place a fraud alert on your credit file at the three credit bureaus then make a list of all the companies related to the theft that will have to be notified: the bank, the credit card company, the mortgage company, the retail store, etc. And then make a point to contact them with haste.
After you have filed your police report, contact someone in the fraud department or security department of each company in your list. If there is no such department, such as if it’s a very small organization, ask for the owner or general manager’s contact information. Next, send a written letter, as opposed to an email, explaining the details of the crime, including any pertinent dollar amounts and dates. Attach a copy of your police report and any other corroborating information, such as receipts for purchases you did not make.
After you’ve sent your letter by certified mail the company should get in touch with you regarding disputing charges or canceling your accounts. If you don’t hear back within one week, call. Do not send a follow-up letter. Time is of the essence. You can send a second letter if it’s proved that the first one was not received.
Once you’ve cancelled any accounts that appear questionable, take care in setting up new accounts – if you choose to do so. Before even attempting to, ask the company to notify you, in writing, that all fraudulent activity has been cleared from your records. It’s best to begin again with a clean slate.
If you have any issues or need help contact the Identity Theft Resource Center, a non-profit agency that is there to help with this very issue. Rely on their experience to help you get the job done. Its painful, its full of red tape and it’s time consuming but it must be done and the quicker the better. Make sure you regularly order your credit reports and vigilantly check them for any further signs of identity theft.