What To Do If You Become A Victim of Identity Theft

Despite your best efforts to protect yourself, you have become a victim of identity theft. What do you do?

The Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs advises taking the following steps as soon as possible.

• Record Keeping - Be sure to keep records of all correspondence with the creditors and agencies you contact. Follow up all telephone calls with a letter and keep a copy.
• Creditors - Notify all creditors and financial institutions, in writing and by phone, that your name and accounts have been compromised
• Local Law Enforcement -  Immediately file a police or identity theft report with your local police. Get a copy of the report. Credit card companies, banks and credit reporting agencies may require you to show a police report to support your claim that a crime was committed.
• Federal Law Enforcement - Report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Credit Reporting Agencies - Contact the three national credit reporting agencies by phone (Equifax 1-800-525-6285; Experian 1-888-397-3742; Trans Union 1-800-680-7289)
• Utility Companies - Ask utility companies to watch out for anyone ordering services in your name.
• Social Security Administration -  If you detect fraudulent use of your social security number, report it to the Social Security Administration at 1-800-269-0271

Consumer Affairs can be reached at 340-3260.

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