Identity Theft Recovery
Self-Help Guide

For victims of identity theft, this simple self-help guide gives you important information you need to know to take quick action, prevent further damage, and work to restore your identity to pre-theft status.

How long will it take?

If you've caught on to your ID thief early on, your recovery process may be fairly short and simple. You may only have to deal with credit card companies and banks to put a stop to the thief. However, it's important to realize that most ID theft cases are more difficult than anticipated if the thief has used your identity to commit various types of fraud in your name. (According to Federal Trade Commission and other experts, fully recovering from identity theft may take as much as 300-500 hours of your personal time over a period of 1 to 2 years, and may cost you several thousand dollars in lost wages, attorney's fees, and other costs.)

Repeat ID Theft

You should also know that once a thief has your personal information, they can use your identity to commit fraud anytime in the future. According to recent studies, only 1 in 700 identity thieves are ever caught. You may effectively freeze your credit and work to resolve your current problems, but the crook may lay dormant for a few years and return to using your identity again at a later time when the dust has settled. Unfortunately, this insidious crime may cause problems for you again and again. One critical thing you should do is to subscribe to an identity monitoring and credit monitoring service (like iDefend® and iDefend® Elite) so you can actively watch for future fraud or theft.

Are You Monitoring for ID Theft and Fraud?

If you are working to resolve your own ID theft case, and you are not yet subscribed to iDefend, you should do so immediately so you can proactively monitor your personal identity information for all the different types of identity fraud. If you are currently battling identity theft, we strongly recommend you subscribing to iDefend Elite so you can monitor your credit and have your personal computers protected against hacking and cyber-crime. Call iDefend Member Services at (801) 724-6211 to enroll.

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This self-help guide is categorized by types of identity theft and fraud. Within each section you will learn important information about the fraud type and what you action you can take yourself.

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Credit Fraud

Notify the Credit Bureaus: Immediately call the fraud department of the three credit reporting companies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and report your credit fraud situation. (Note: When you notify one bureau that you are at risk of being a victim of identity theft, it will notify the other two for you.)

Here's the contact information for the 3 major credit bureaus:
Establish Credit Fraud Alerts: Placing the fraud alert on your credit file means that that creditors are required to call you before extending credit. Give them your cell number or another number where you can best be reached. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you can place an initial fraud alert on your credit for only 90 days. The credit bureaus will each mail you a notice of your rights as an identity theft victim. After your first fraud alert is successfully placed, you can request that the fraud alert be extended for up to 7 years. As part of placing a fraud alert on your credit file, you are entitled to receive a free copy of your credit report from each of the bureaus. We recommend you request a copy of your report at the time you place your fraud alert.

When to 'Freeze' Your Credit: You may also 'freeze' your credit file with each of the three credit bureaus. By freezing your credit reports, creditors cannot access your credit report except when you allow it. For the most part, this prevents thieves from opening up new credit card and loan accounts without you knowing about it – assuming the creditor actually checks credit before granting the loan.

Freeze your credit only if needed. If your identity thief continues to use your identity to get loans and obtain credit, consider using the security freeze. The security freeze is free to victims of identity theft in most states. Non-victims who wish to activate the security freeze for prevention must pay a fee in most states. Some states make the security freeze available only to identity theft victims.

Monitor Your Credit Reports: Once you receive notification of the fraud alerts being placed on your credit files, contact each of the three bureaus immediately to request a free printed copy of your credit report. We recommend that you order your free credit reports by phone rather than using the online system. Call (877) 322-8228.

Once you have received your credit reports, examine each one carefully. Report fraudulent accounts and incorrect information in writing to both the credit bureaus and the credit issuers involved. Follow the instructions provided with the credit reports.

The federal FACTA law also gives you the right to receive a free credit report from each of the credit bureaus once a year – in addition to the report they send you upon requesting fraud alerts be placed on your file. For more information about getting a free copy of your credit reports each year, see www.annualcreditreport.com.

NOTE: Be aware that credit 'fraud alerts' and 'freezes' may not entirely prevent new fraudulent credit cards or loans from being opened by the imposter. Credit issuers do not always pay attention to fraud alerts, even though the law now requires it. Because of this, it's a good idea to regularly check your credit reports on your own. Subscribing to our iDefend Elite program makes monitoring your credit easy by providing you online access to your credit report, credit monitoring alerts and credit score monitoring.

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Bank/Check Fraud

If you have had checks stolen or bank accounts set up fraudulently, notify your bank immediately and ask your bank to report it to ChexSystems, a consumer reporting agency for checking accounts. You can also place a security alert on your file with ChexSystems.

ChexSystems website: https://www.consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/en/index.htm

Put a 'stop payment' on any checks that still have not cleared that you are unsure about. You should also close your checking account and other affected accounts and request new account numbers. If you do online banking, make sure you use proper passwords for your accounts. Do not use your mother's maiden name, Social Security number, date of birth, pet's name, sequential numbers, or any other easily guessed words.

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Computer Cyber-Crime

Your computer may have been compromised by hackers and identity thieves. Your personal and financial information may have been captured through your home or work computer if you do online banking, buy things online, do your taxes on your computer, manage your investments, 401K, insurance benefits, etc. This crime is now fairly common.

System Checkup/Intrusion Analysis: To protect yourself, you should immediately have your computer(s) tested and analyzed by trained computer security professionals. A good checkup includes scans for viruses, spyware, rootkits, keyloggers and other hacker tools used to steal information from your computer while you use it. You should make sure your system is fully scanned, and all malware and traces of hacker tools have been removed.

Get Locked Down: After your system has been checked out and cleaned up, make sure it's locked down properly. A trained security technician will make sure you have adequate anti-malware software, a solid desktop firewall, and that your operating system and web browser security settings are set up properly and working effectively.

NOTE: You can get a full system checkup, intrusion analysis, and security consultation done through iDefend. This is conducted via remote internet connection to your computer by our INVISUS team of certified technicians and takes about 30-60 minutes. (By subscribing to iDefend or iDefend Elite, you automatically get these expert computer security services that are essential to preventing and recovering from identity theft.)

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Phone/Utilities Fraud

Identity thieves often establish fraudulent home phone, cell phone, and other utilities accounts, with the monthly bills going unpaid. If the imposter has obtained phone account(s) or utilities in your name, contact the respective company for information on how to report and resolve the situation.

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Change of Address/Mail Fraud

Notify the local Postal Inspector with the U.S. Postal Service if you believe your address was fraudulently changed with the post office or if U.S. mail has been used to commit fraud in your name. If the thief obtained new credit cards in your name, ask the Postal Inspector to find out where fraudulent credit cards were mailed. Notify your local Postmaster to forward all mail in your name to your proper address.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service website: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/
U.S. Postal Inspection Service phone number: (800) 275-8777
Online complaint form: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx

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Social Security Fraud

If your Social Security Number (SSN) has been used by a thief to claim social security benefits, get a job using your identity, or commit welfare fraud, you should immediately notify the Social Security Administration (SSA). Please note that the SSA does not provide assistance to identity theft victims. But you should report the fraud to the SSA Inspector General.

SSA fraud hotline: (800) 269-0271
Social Security Administration online complaint form: www.socialsecurity.gov/oig

Getting a Replacement SSN Card: If your SSN card has been stolen or lost, you can order a replacement by completing the SSA's application available at www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ss-5.html or by calling the SSA at (800) 772-1213. You can also visit your local SSA office. You will need to provide the required documentation such as birth certificate and government ID at your local SSA office to get a replacement card.

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Medical / Health Care Fraud

Medical identity theft is when someone uses your name, Social Security number, date of birth or other personal information to obtain health care from a doctor or to purchase medical products. Another crime is falsified claims for medical care made to your health insurer using your personal information. Like most other forms of identity theft, you will likely be the first to be aware of this problem. You may get a call from a debt collector for past due medical bills.

Recovering from medical identity theft typically involves restoring your medical records in addition to cleaning up judgments or other negative items on your credit report. The resources below will help you understand more about medical identity theft and what you can do to recover.

FTC website about medical identity theft:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt10.shtm

World Privacy Forum information about medical identity theft:
http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/medicalidentitytheft.html

Medical ID theft recovery steps – FAQ:
http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/FAQ_medicalrecordprivacy.html

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Driver's License Fraud

If someone is using your driver's license number to write bad checks or has duplicated your driver's license as a form of ID, you may need to change your driver's license number. Call your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to see if another license was issued in your name. Put a fraud alert on your license if your state's DMV provides a fraud alert process. Go to your local DMV to request a new driver's license number.

Request that your DMV conduct an investigation into your identity theft case. Fill out the DMV's complaint form to begin the investigation process. Be sure to send supporting documents with the completed form.

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Tax Fraud

Your Social Security number can be used to file fraudulent tax returns. For example, a thief might use your SSN to file a tax return with the IRS in order to claim a bogus tax refund in your name. If the tax return is filed before yours, the thief will likely receive the refund and you will not be able to file your tax return until the matter is resolved with the IRS.

If your SSN has been stolen, it may be used by an imposter to get a job. The thief's employer would report income earned to the IRS using your SSN, making it appear that you did not report all of your income on your tax return.

The IRS has established the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit to assist individuals with such problems. It can be reached at (800) 908-4490. For more information, visit www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=186436,00.html.

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False Criminal Record

If you've been wrongfully accused of crimes that were committed by an identity thief, you will often find out through a civil judgment against you. You may find out that you have a warrant out for your arrest by something as simple as a being pulled over by a police officer for a traffic violation.

If you are wrongfully arrested or prosecuted for criminal charges, contact the police department and the court in the jurisdiction of the arrest. This may be in another state. Also contact your state's Department of Justice and the FBI to ask how to clear your name. If a civil judgment is entered in your name for your imposter's actions, contact the court where the judgment was entered and report that you are a victim of identity theft.

You can learn more about criminal identity theft at http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17g-CrimIdTheft.htm.

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Investment Fraud

Online investing has led to a serious problem with investment identity theft and fraud. Once the thieves access the accounts they often transfer money to private checking accounts overseas. You should immediately report the incident to the brokerage company and notify the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may also want to notify the Financial Industry Regulatory Association.

Unfortunately, if you are a victim of this type of fraud, you do not have the same protections against loss with your brokerage accounts as you do with your credit card or bank accounts. The Securities Investor Protection Corporation restores customer funds only when your brokerage firm fails. If an identity thief or other fraudster targets your brokerage account, refer to your account agreement for information on what to do.

To protect against fraud, be sure to always password protect your investment accounts with a unique, hard to guess password that uses numbers and characters.

Securities and Exchange Commission: www.sec.gov
Financial Industry Regulatory Association: www.finra.org
Securities Investor Protection Corporation: www.sipc.org

Report to Authorities

File a Police Report with Local Law Enforcement: Contact your local police or sheriff's department right away and report the crime. You might also need to report it to police department(s) where the crime occurred if it's somewhere other than where you live. You should provide them with as much documented evidence as possible. Make sure the police report lists each of the the fraudulent accounts you are aware of. Also, be sure to get a copy of the police report, which is called an 'identity theft report' under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Keep the phone number of your investigator handy and give it to creditors and others who require verification of your case. Credit card companies and banks may require you to show the report in order to verify the crime.

If your local police department refuses to file a report and your situation involves fraudulent use of the U.S. mail, you can obtain an identity theft report from the U.S. Postal Inspector. If your case involves fraudulent use of a driver's license in your name, you might be able to obtain a report from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles.

FTC information about identity theft reports:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html

Report to the Federal Trade Commission: We strongly recommend you file an identity theft report with the FTC. Be sure you include your local police report number. Although the FTC does not itself investigate identity theft cases, they share information with investigators nationwide who are fighting identity theft.

FTC identity theft hotline: (877) 438-4338
FTC online complaint form: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
FTC's uniform fraud affidavit: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/resources/forms/affidavit.pdf
FTC's Statement of Victim's Rights: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/rights.html

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Credit Protection / Credit Management Center

With your iDefend plan, you've got access to a full credit management education resource for learning how to better protect your credit, including topics such as filing disputes with the credit bureaus, correcting your credit report, what to look out for with credit repair scams, and much more.

Click here to go to your iDefend Credit Management Center.

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Privacy Protection

Through iDefend, you have access to a full resource center of tips, tools and education for safeguarding your privacy and limiting the amount of personal information about you floating around and publicly available. This is an important part of staying under the radar of thieves and protecting your identity.

The iDefend Privacy Protection Center includes key information about important topics such as stopping junk mail and pre-approved credit offers, getting on the 'do-not-call' list, reducing and fighting spam emails, as well as how to find out what information about you is publicly available on directories, genealogy websites and what information is being shared by financial companies, etc.

Click here to go to your iDefend Privacy Protection Center.

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Active Military

As an extra measure of protection against identity theft, if you are on active duty in the military, be sure to place an 'active duty alert' with the three credit bureaus. Contact the fraud departments at the credit bureau contact information above. The alert remains on your credit reports for 12 months.

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Getting Legal Help

You may want to consult an attorney to determine legal action to take against creditors, credit bureaus, and/or debt collectors if they are not cooperative in removing fraudulent entries from your credit report or if they are negligent in assisting you in restoring your identity. Call the local Bar Association, a Legal Aid office in your area (for low-income households), or the National Association of Consumer Advocates (www.naca.net) to find an attorney who specializes in consumer law, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the Fair Credit Billing Act.

If you are a senior citizen or take care of a dependent adult, be sure to contact an elder law service or the nearest Aging and Independent Services program. Many district attorneys have an elder abuse unit with expertise in financial crimes against seniors.

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Emotional Stress

Psychological counseling may help you deal with the stress and anxiety commonly experienced by victims. Know that you are not alone.

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How can I get expert help?

Should you wish to save time and money and have an iDefend identity theft specialist manage your identity restoration for you, please contact iDefend Member Services at (801) 724-6211 and ask about our Whole Identity Recovery Service options. (Fully managed identity recovery services are included at no additional cost with existing iDefend and iDefend Elite plans.)

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