When someone uses your social security number to obtain credit or for other personal gain, it is a crime. Identity theft victimizes millions of people each year, costing companies billions of dollars and ruining your good name.
Get a Credit Report
The only way to determine whether or not your social security number has been used without your permission is to regularly scan your credit report. You can sign up for a monthly monitoring service through any of the three national credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, or Trans Union.
File an Identity Theft Report with the FTC
If you discover that accounts have been opened, you must file an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your local police department. Filing these reports will help you close the accounts and have them removed from your report without the liability of paying them.
Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit File
Contact the credit bureaus and have a fraud alert placed on your credit file. This alert will prevent any new accounts from being established without your knowledge. The initial alert is good for 90 days. You can request an extended alert, which is valid for seven years.
Place a Credit Freeze on Your Credit File
You can also request a credit freeze. This prevents any unauthorized person or lender to access your credit report unless you lift the freeze. You will still be able to review and purchase your report, but lenders will not. This process will prevent new accounts from being opened.
Submit Police and FTC Reports to Creditors and Bureaus
Begin contacting the credit issuers and credit reporting agencies. The goal is to submit the FTC and police reports to the fraud departments and begin the process of closing the fraudulent accounts and ensuring that you are not liable. This can be a long and arduous process.
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