Taking action against people who commit identity theft helps the victim regain his/her financial stability.
When a person discovers someone else has used his/her identity, there’s a sense of bewilderment and violation. The person must accept those feelings. Then take necessary action to protect him/herself and seek justice against the criminal
- Order a Credit Report. Visit one of the three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and Transunion to order a free credit report. People who suspect someone has fraudulently used their identity for financial reasons are entitled to a free credit report. While on the site, request a fraud alert be placed on your account. The FAQs provide more information for the victim for steps to protect one’s self.
- Report the Identity Theft to the Police. The victim of the identity theft needs to call the local police to report the crime. During the phone call the police will tell the victim if it is necessary to visit the police station. If the theft took place in another jurisdiction, the victim will likely be instructed to contact the other jurisdiction to report the crime. Make sure to get a case number to include on the FTC form.
- Fill Out a Report on the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Website. The FTC provides a form that requests the information needed to report the crime. Fill out the form completely. Print the form. They also provide a link to consumer’s rights. Read these rights.
- Mail Evidence to the Financial Institution(s). The victim needs to make a copy of the FTC form as well as any evidence of the identity theft/fraud and mail it to all financial institutions where the thief has attempted to use the victim’s identity. Be sure to indicate that the theft has been reported to the police and include the case number.
- Report the Fraud to the US Postal Inspector. If there’s evidence the US Postal Service has been used to perpetuate the fraud, such as stolen mail or a piece of mail sent fraudulently in the victim’s name, the victim should fill out a report on the US Postal Inspector’s website. The form, the FTC form, copies of any information sent to the financial institutions involved, and a record of all communications with the police need to be mailed to the US Postal Inspector for the region where the fraud took place.
- Review the Credit Report. Once the credit report arrives in the mail, the victim should look at it carefully for activity on the account that is incorrect. Fill out another FTC form, update both the police and the US Postal Inspector, and contact the financial institution to make them aware of any fraudulent activity discovered.
- Follow Up. Keep in contact with the law enforcement involved providing any information that will help the investigation.
- Stay Involved. Should the investigation result in an arrest and a trial, make yourself available to the prosecutor to answer questions and provide any necessary information for the case to move forward.
- Keep Detailed Records. Throughout the process, the victim should keep copies of every piece of correspondence related to the investigation. This may be very important for the future should an occasion occur that requires a credit report. All fraudulent activity should be removed from the credit report once proven to be fraudulent, but keeping records may prove invaluable should some activity not be removed in a timely manner.
- Protection. The victim should take responsible steps to protect himself/herself in the future. A credit monitoring service provides ongoing updates on credit report activity. Shredding papers, protecting one’s mail, and guarding one’s public transactions are all necessary for protection. See the article, Six Ways to Protect Against Identity Theft, for more details.
By reporting identity theft, the victim not only starts the process of protecting his/her future financial health, but begins to feel the power of knowing he/she has taken action. The power of taking control of one’s life can have a healing effect even if the thief manages to allude capture. This article is intended to help victims of identity theft navigate reporting the theft. It is not intended as legal advice.
Copyright T. L. Cooper. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
