subject: 3 Things To Do If Identity Theft Has Happened In Your Life [print this page] Has identity theft ever happened to you? Do you know what to do if you've been a victim of identity theft? If not then you need to know, because it's something serious and something that needs to be addressed immediately so that you can stop the financial ruin that's happening in your life right now.
Inside of this article, we will take a look at some of the things that you should do if identity theft has plagued you and your family. Here's the first thing that you should do if you've been a victim of identity theft.
1) Tell the 3 major bureaus
Telling the 3 major credit bureaus is an essential step in the process. You really don't have to tell all 3 because once you tell one of them, they will tell the other 2 about it also. But if it makes you feel more secure, you should tell all three anyway just to be sure that they got it.
You may want to take this a step further and place an extended fraud alert to be put on your credit file. Extended fraudulent alerts stay on your credit file for 7 years and to make it thorough, you will have to submit a police report with it also.
With an extended fraud alert, creditors will know that your information has been compromised and they will take additional steps to protect you. Here's the next thing that you should do.
2) Monitor your reports
You will want to analyze your credit report for any discrepancies that you may find. If you see anything fraudulent on your credit file, let the credit bureaus know immediately. Be sure to check your personal information too so that everything looks okay. This is an important part of the process, so you will want to take a look at your reports carefully.
If anything doesn't match or if anything sounds fraudulent, be sure to let the credit bureaus know immediately. Check your SSN, your job information, even your name - all of these things need to be checked before you proceed to the next step. You will want to order your credit report every few months just so you can stay on top of things regarding your credit.
Remember also that you get a free credit report each year just by going to annualcreditreport.com. So you will also want to take advantage of this free tool also.
3) Tell the cops
This is required. You will have to tell the cops what happened to you. File a police report and tell them everything that you know. You will want to take along your credit report and highlight the wrong parts that you see. During the next couple of months if you see anything that comes up and looks suspicious, be sure to document this as well and take it to the cops. This will be considered as new evidence.
All 3 of these tips for knowing what to do if identity theft has happened to you work if you use them.
Be sure to start using them today to reclaim your good name now.
3 Things To Do If Identity Theft Has Happened In Your Life
