Protect Yourself
• Report any suspected fraud to your bank immediately.
• Use online banking to protect yourself. Monitor your financial accounts regularly for fraudulent transactions.
• Sign up for text or e-mail alerts from your bank for certain types of transactions, such as online purchases or transactions of more than $500.
• Beware of phishing scams. Never give out personal financial information in an e-mail or over the phone unless you have initiated the contact.
• Monitor your credit report. Order a free copy of your credit report every four months from one of the three credit reporting agencies at annualcreditreport.com.
• Check your monthly banking and credit card statements carefully as soon as they arrive – report any questionable activity immediately.
If You Suspect Your Identity has Been Stolen:
• Call your bank and credit card issuers immediately so they can start working on closing your accounts and clearing your name.
• File a police report and call the fraud unit of three credit-reporting companies.
The fraud unit numbers are:
TransUnion (800) 680-7289
Experian (888) 397-3742
Equifax (800) 525-6285
• Consider placing a victim statement in your credit report.
• Make sure to maintain a log of all the contacts you make with authorities regarding the matter. Write down names, titles, and phone numbers in case you need to re-contact them or refer to them in future correspondence.
• For more advice, contact the FTC’s ID Theft Consumer Response Center at 1-877-ID THEFT (1-877-438-4338) or ftc.gov/idtheft.