If you think your identity has been stolen, here's what to do NOW:

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus  to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.

2. Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.

3. File a police report with the Pacific Grove Police Department. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

4. File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you.

Source: Federal Trade Commission

Download Information Brochures

Minimize your risk or recover from identity theft with guides from the FTC. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to access these files.

ID THEFT: WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT [211kb]
brochure, published by the federal trade commission

WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOUR GOOD NAME [644kb]
brochure, published by the federal trade commission