Victim Assistance

If you, a family member or a friend has become an unfortunate victim of Identity Theft, refer to the helpful steps and valuable resources below.

  1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.

  2. Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.

  3. File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

  4. File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.

  5. Contact your Insurance Agency if you have coverage.

  6. Contact your Department of Motor Vehicles or Registry of Motor Vehicles.

  7. Contact your credit card companies.

  8. Contact your banks, credit unions, brokers and other financial institutions.

  9. Contact your employer.

  10. Contact your accountant or the firm who files your annual taxes.

  11. Contact the Social Security Administration.

Am I a Victim?  If so, What can I do?

Several signs can tell you if your identity has been stolen, including:

  • Unauthorized charges to credit cards and other accounts

    • Immediately contact your creditor and/or the company that holds your account.    If they are alerted quickly enough, disaster can be completely averted.  The longer you wait, the more responsibility for theft will fall on your shoulders.

    • Close accounts that have been or may have been tampered with.  Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.

  • Accounts opened in your name that you did not open

    • Again, alert your creditor and the company with which the account was opened.

  • You do not receive your bill during a billing cycle

    • Identity thieves can redirect your bills to a different address.  This way they prevent you from seeing unauthorized action on the billing statement.  Alert your creditor and the company.

  • Checks are missing

    • A thief can steal a check written to you or by you.  Cancel the check immediately.  It may be necessary to close the entire account. 

  • You are contacted by a collection agency for purchases and charges you did not apply to your account

    • You may also be contacted by a repossession agency for a car or other object(s) you did not buy.  At this point the thief has used your identity to steal.  Bills may have been sent to a different address than your own.  File a police report, a complaint with the FTC, your creditor and the company from which the object(s) or money was stolen.

  • Your bank statement reflects action

    • Let your bank know immediately.  Cancel your account.  You will also need to prove that the action was not caused by you.

  • You are contacted by the police for a crime committed in your name

    • Someone could have given your name at the time of arrest instead of their own, or ID theft in your name can be so serious that, before you realize the theft has even happened, the police are at your door. 

What if Businesses Will Not Cooperate?

If your identity has been stolen, you will need to contact many different sources to repair the damage.  Sometimes businesses may not cooperate.  In this event you may need to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

There are two  types of complaints

  • If your complaint is about a legitimate business and your problem is that you are having trouble getting that business to correct your records or your billing as a result of an identity theft you should file a Better Business Bureau complaint against that legitimate business. Click here to file your complaint with the BBB . The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also maintains an online complaint form to report identity theft. This database is accessible to law enforcement agencies around the country; you may also wish to file your complaint with the FTC, and you can do so by clicking here.

  • If your complaint is against the identity thief, it is unlikely that they BBB can assist you. We urge you to report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Please note that the FTC does not attempt to resolve individual complaints. However, putting your complaint into that database may help law enforcement agencies across North America track down and punish the thief.

  • In either event, make absolutely certain you report the identity theft to your local police department as soon as possible after you first become aware you are a victim. Get a copy of the police report, which will help you in notifying your creditors and credit reporting agencies.

 

What are my Legal Responsibilities?

  • You cannot be held responsible for any unauthorized charges to your credit card if you report the theft before the card is used.  In the event that the card is used, but you report it promptly, the most you can be charged is $50.
  • Debit cards are a different story.  The same holds true if you report the theft before the card is used, but the window of time for reporting the theft after the card is used is only two days in order to be charged no more than $50.  You then have between two days and 60 days to report the theft, but this time you may be responsible for up to $500.  If you wait longer than 60 days, you may be completely responsible for paying the debt.  This is why it is extremely important to monitor your billing cycle and bills and to report theft promptly.
  • Generally the bank is responsible for losses due to forged and other fraudulent checks, but don’t take a chance.  If you do not report a lost, stolen and/or misused check in a timely manner, you may be held responsible.     
  • Besides notifying your bank, notify the major check verification companies.  They will add you to their database and will let retailers know not to accept the checks.

  • The major check verification companies are

    • CrossCheck: 1-707-586-0551

    • Equifax Check Systems: 1-800-437-5120

    • International Check Services: 1-800-526-5380

    • National Check Fraud Service: 1-843-571-2143

    • SCAN: 1-800-262-7771

    • TeleCheck: 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188