Identify theft is at the top of the list of consumer complaints filed with the FTC. There are many ways to steal someone's identity, and once a thief has your personal information, they can max out your credit cards, completely rain your bank account, and ruin your credit score. Common identity thefts include: 

• Credit card fraud
• Fraudulent withdrawals from a bank account
• Fraudulent use of medical care
• False applications for new credit cards
• Fraudulent use of an IP address in order for engaging in illegal acts online
• Fraudulent use of medical care

There are essential steps to take if you think your identity has been stolen, and here's where to start: 

1. Fraud Alert On Your Credit Reports

A fraud alert will put a red flag on your credit report and notifies appropriate lenders and creditors that they must take extra verification steps before extending credit. To place a 90-day fraud alert on all three of your credit reports, you'll have to contact one of the three crediting reporting agencies to do so. Once you place the initial alert, the agency will contact the other two for you. Once you place a fraud alert on all of your credit reports, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each agency, and be sure to obtain them! If you find fraudulent items on your reports, begin the necessary steps to dispute them immediately. 

2. Contact The Appropriate Institution

If your credit card was stolen or misplaced, report the theft to that credit card issuer. If you lost your checkbook, contact your bank. This is probably one of the most important steps to take so you can put an immediate stop on any charge a thief is attempting to make. Once you contact your credit card issuers or bank, any charge thereafter will automatically decline. You can then contact the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and file an identity theft affidavit and they can inform you on what to do next and what type of fraud was committed. 

3. File a Police Report

In order to complete your identity theft report with the FTC, you'll need to file a police report with your local law enforcement office. Both the police report and FTC report work together with credit reporting agencies to get to the bottom of what the identity thief may have used to open accounts with your personal information. 

If you are a victim of identity theft and need assistance on how to go about reporting your loss, contact our identity theft lawyers at Adam Alexander to help you with your case. Adam Alexander is highly specialized and trained in the Federal FDCPA and FCRA statutes, and related fraud and deceptive practices litigation. For a free initial consultation, contact us at 248-246-6353 today!