If you have been a victim of identity theft, these steps can help get you back on track to protecting your finances and privacy:
- Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and carefully review your credit reports.
- Contact your creditors and financial institutions. Close all accounts that have been accessed by the identity thieves. Ask for passwords to secure new accounts.
- Keep a log of who you speak to and when. Send a follow-up letter for all phone calls and send all letters by certified mail. Keep copies of all letters and documents.
- File a report with the police in the community where the ID theft took place. Ask for a copy of the report to show your creditors and financial institutions. To make a police report with the Blaine Police Department, call 763-427-1212.
- File a report with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Identity Theft Department by calling 877-ID-THEFT.
- File a report with one of the three major credit-reporting bureaus to put a fraud alert on your name. Order credit reports and review them thoroughly. You can reach the three major credit bureaus at:
- Experian: 888-397-3742
- Equifax: 800-525-6285
- TransUnion: 800-680-7289
- If mail was stolen or tampered with, contact the Postal Inspection Service at 801-974-2271.
- If Social Security Number (SSN) or card has been stolen, call the SSN Fraud Hotline at 800-269-0271.
- If your checks have been stolen or misused, close the account and ask your bank to notify the appropriate check verification service by calling 888-567-8688.
- Additional information and resources are available online at Identity Theft Resource Center.