6 Steps Every Identity Theft Victim Needs to Follow to Repair Their Credit
If you have been a victim of identity theft then you will know that cleaning up the mess takes time, money, and causes stress and anxiety. In fact, some people even admit defeat and just pay off the fraudulent charges that resulted from identity theft as it’s the only way they can repair their credit rating.
However, there are precise steps that should be taken if you want to limit the damage to your credit history. So, below are six steps you should follow if you have become or believe you are a victim of identity theft.
Step 1: Contact the 3 Major Credit Bureaus
Contact by phone the fraud departments of all three credit bureaus. Explain to them that you are a victim of identity theft and that you want to be personally contacted prior to any new credit being issued in your name.
Equifax
Call: 1-800-525-6285
Write to: Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105069, Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
Experian
Call: 1-888-397-3742
Write to: P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion
Call: 1-800-680-7289
Write to: P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834
You should insist that they place your account under investigation for identity theft while it remains on your credit report.
Step 2: Order Your Credit Report
Order your credit reports from all three bureaus so that you can look for accounts that might have been fraudulently opened in your name. You are permitted a free copy of your report from each credit bureau if you are the victim of identity theft.
Step 3: File a Police Report
Without a police report, companies who have wrongly issued credit in your name, will not take you seriously. A police report will protect your legal rights.
Step 4: Contact Your Local Post Office
If someone stole your mail to obtain your information for the purposes of identity theft, then report this fact officially to your local postmaster.
Step 5: Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles and Social Security Administration
If the identity thief is using your driver’s license number or social security number to commit identity theft, you may have to obtain new numbers from these agencies.
Step 6: Contact Each Company that Approved Credit to the Identity Thief
In this case, communicating by telephone will not protect your rights. Instead, send certified letters and inform them that they correspond with you in writing.
Summary
The above 6 steps will be the first things that you should do after becoming a victim of identity theft. A great way to prevent identity theft is to check out one of the identity theft protection services, like TrustedID.
Now you might want to do something to repair your damaged credit. So, if you’re looking to find more information on how to repair your credit, then download the best credit repair software available.
Do not waste time with cheap yet ineffective e-books or ludicrously overpriced monthly credit repair services. The software mentioned above is called Credit Repair Magic and it is the fastest and most cost-effective credit repair solution we’ve ever seen.
About William Wilkie
William has been interested in the economy and the financial markets since a teenager. Michael writes about How to Manage Your Money and offers personal finance advice and tips.
As due to increasing technology such types of acitivities are likely to happen. Identity theft is nowadays a most crucial issues so unless and until we are not alert concern to this than we are not going to save our identity.
Anyway thanks a lot for this all 6 steps as this comes to aid lot.