Tuesday 31 January 2012

Identity Theft - Straightening Out Your Credit In The Aftermath

By Sharon Collier


FBI stats show that I. D. theft is one of the swiftest growing crimes in the US, with approximately 1 in 5 families in the U.S. Being a victim of identity theft. I. D. theft is getting someone else's personal info (e.g, name, Social Security ID, credit card number, passport) without that person's knowledge and using that information fraudulently. For someone that reveals they're a victim of identity theft, it is important to act fast. These are some instant steps to do so as to stop further misuse and to restore your good credit:

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the 3 credit reporting companies to put a crime alert on your credit score. When a fraud alert is placed on your credit reports, creditors will get in touch with you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your current accounts. You just need to contact one of the three corporations to place a warning, and they are required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. After you place the fraud alert in your file, you are entitled to order free copies of your credit reports. When you receive them, check them over carefully for any new accounts that could have been opened without your authorisation. Also be aware of any new inquiries by banks, lenders and Mastercard companies that you weren't acquainted with.

2. Report the crime to your local police or sheriff's office and ask for a police report.

3. Contact your lender, banks, telephone corporations, and power firms and have them freeze your accounts. Banks, Visa card firms and other creditors may require a copy of your police report. You may be liable for a tiny sum of the fraudulent charges; check with each of your card companies for their policies. Most creditors smartly issue replacement cards with new account numbers.

4. Raise a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

5. Monitor all bank and credit card bills and other bills scrupulously to ensure there aren't any fraudulent charges. If you find fraudulent checks or withdrawals on your deposit account, notify the crime department of your bank in writing immediately.

Stop payment on any missing checks and/or close your current account. You can inform the check corroboration companies not to accept further checks under the account number that was stolen. To find out if the ID thief has been passing bad checks in your name, contact SCAN 1800-262-7771.

If unapproved Mastercard charges appear, tell your Visa card company in writing without delay.

6. If you believe the theft involved your SSID number, contact the Social Security Administration. They may re-issue a missing social security card or may, under some conditions, give you a new social security number.

As you know, your credit history is all important. Each precaution must be taken to guard your credit history. When you have your identity straightened out, you could consider joining up with Equifax Credit Watch. Equifax Credit Watch makes monitoring your report simple by instantly cautioning you within 24 hours of key changes in your Equifax Credit History - like when anyone attempts to get credit in your name or there are sudden changes in your ATM card balances. - so you can act before significant damage is done.

Looking for information about credit repair? Stop by our site to learn more.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment