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Don't Lose Your Good Name
Protecting Your Family from Identity Theft By Cara Stevens
The next step is to review all of your reports immediately, and flag anything that appears suspicious. Report any fraudulent inquiries placed on your account, and request firmly and in writing that they be removed, stating the relevant details of your case. Then confirm that all of your personal information is correct. In the first year that fraud is detected, the FTC recommends that you check your credit reports periodically, then follow up with a routine check with each of the three major agencies once, if not twice, a year.
Close any fraudulent accounts or accounts that have been tampered with. Report any errors or fraudulent activity immediately and in writing.
Next, file a police report and report the event by calling the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).
Last and most important, keep well-organized, written records of any communications and actions you take to set the records straight.
The bottom line is that no matter how carefully you protect yourself and your identity, "the reality is there is no way to protect yourself from ID theft," Foley says. "There are ways you can minimize the risk, but consumers and companies ultimately have a co-responsibility, and the companies need to cooperate as well."
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