You’ve Been a Victim of Identity Theft— What’s Next?
In our ever-connected world, we place more and more of our essential information online.
While this is massively convenient for shopping, paying bills, and staying in touch with friends and family, it also means easy pickings for malicious actors who seek to profit from our information by stealing our online identities.
Simpler online crimes may mean you find your credit card has been used by someone else – but more complicated identity theft may be taking place and you will not find out until much later, as someone has used your personal data to open new accounts in your name.
And this is much more difficult to resolve, as it takes time and effort to establish that you are the real you and not responsible for the charges run up by your criminal alter ego.
If you suspect there is another, less legitimate, you out there happily spending away and not paying their bills, they are trashing your credit record and leaving you to pick up the tab.
What can you do to reclaim your identity as you being the one-and-only? Top tips include:
Claim on any insurance that covers identity theft. You may have this as a product you bought or it may come bundled automatically with something else you already have from a bank, credit card company, insurance policy, or work benefits.
Tell companies and utilities you use regularly if you have been a victim of identity theft. They can review and freeze accounts and issue new card numbers. This includes your health insurance company in case someone is seeking treatment on your identity.
Freeze your credit. This is a free service from the credit reference companies and it stops anyone enquiring about your records.
Notify your police department. Ask for a crime reference number so you have a paper trail when working with companies.
Review and tighten your online security – start with changing passwords, sign up for two-factor authentication, and shred unwanted documents.
Check your credit reports for any suspicious new accounts opened in your name. There are three major firms – TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax – and they can mark your account which will be a flag for 12 months for any new inquiries for credit against your name.
Use a credit monitoring service. Sometimes a free perk with another product, also available as discrete services, they alert you when a credit inquiry has been made on you.
File a report with the Federal Trade Commission. Law enforcement agencies use its data and this can be done at www.identitytheft.gov – it even includes stock letters and forms to help.
Check your credit card and bank statements for charges you do not recognize. Do not forget dormant accounts.
Identity theft can be a terrifying experience for anyone. Luckily, there are numerous options for those who believe they’ve been a victim. Here’s hoping this never has to apply to you!
