Are you the victim of identity theft or do you know someone who is? Please don’t panic because that will just make things worse. Here are four crucial steps to take if you are a victim.
1st. You have to file officially with the FTC at identitytheft.gov. They will assist you with the entire process and make the situation a lot less traumatic.
2nd. Contact all your banking institutions including but not limited to banks that hold your checking and savings accounts, banks that issued you credit cards etc. They too will take you through a step by step process.
3rd. You must contact the Internal Revenue Service and file form 14039. This step is important because it will stop any thief from filing tax returns on your behalf and or stealing any possible refunds.
4th. Finally, you should contact all three credit bureaus, inform them of the situation and ask that fraud alerts be turned on. Below are their names and numbers for your convenience:
Experian 1-800-525-6285
Equifax 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion 1-800-680-7289
