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. Once the alert is placed, you may order a free copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus.
   1. Equifax
      www.equifax.com
      Report fraud:
      1-800-525-6285
      Order a credit report:
      1-800-685-1111
      P.O. Box 740241
      Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
   2. Experian
      www.experian.com
      Report fraud:
      1-888-397-3742
      Order a credit report:
      1-888-EXPERIAN
      (1-888-397-3742)
      P.O. Box 1017
      Allen, TX 75013-0949
   3. TransUnion
      www.tuc.com
      Report fraud:
      1-800-680-7289
      Order a credit report:
      1-800-916-8800
      Fraud Victim Assistance Department
      P.O. Box 6790
      Fullerton, CA 92834
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. REPORT THE CRIME IMMEDIATELY TO POLICE! Obtain the police report number and record it for future reference. Obtain a verification letter from the Records Division of the police department. A copy of this letter can be given to creditors when you dispute fraudulent charges.
   
   Call 911 to report the theft
4. File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps them to learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that they can better assist you.
1. Internet — www.consumer.gov/idtheft
2. Telephone — 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
3. TTY — 1-866-653-4261
5. If you are indeed a victim of ID theft, you can consider placing a 'security freeze' on your credit report. After you have filed and received a copy of the police report, investigative report, or complaint filed with a law enforcement agency, you can request to place a 'security freeze' on your credit report with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). The request must be in writing, and in some cases, by certified or overnight mail. For more information, contact the three major credit bureau agencies listed above and/or visit their websites.

The security freeze on your credit report will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing any information to unauthorized parties without your consent in order to prevent ID thieves from continuing to secure credit in your name. For more information on a credit security freeze, click on the attached link: New Credit Security Freeze

For more information on recovering from identity theft and help with specific problems, refer to the Federal Trade Commission’s booklet, Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft.