Department
of Consumer Affairs: Your
State Resource for ID Theft
Federal
Trade Commission: Your
National Resource for ID Theft
Identity Theft
is one of the fastest growing crimes in our county and in the nation.
It occurs when someone uses your personal identifying information, such
as your
name, Social Security number or credit card number without your permission to
commit theft, fraud or other crimes. While
there are no guarantees about avoiding
identity theft, there are steps you can take to minimize
your risk and minimize the
damage if the problem occurs.
If you think your
identity has been stolen, here’s what to do:
1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three
consumer reporting companies
to place a fraud
alert on your credit report. The fraud alert tells creditors to contact you
before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts.
You
only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company
you
call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their
versions of
your report. Once you place the fraud alert in your file, you're entitled to
order free
copies of your credit reports, and, if you ask, only the last four digits of
your Social Security
number will appear on your credit reports.
2. Close the accounts that you know or believe have
been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Use the ID
Theft Affidavit (PDF, 56 KB)
3. File a report with your local Sheriff or police in the community where
you live. Get a copy
of the report or at the very least, the case number, to submit to your creditors
and others that
may require proof of the crime. You, as a victim of identity theft, are entitled
to a free copy of
your crime report.
For more in-depth information on recovering from identity
theft and help with specific problems,
read Take
Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft.
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Santa Cruz County
Sheriff |