Identity Theft

My identity has been used for fraudulent purposes. What do I do?

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that over 10 million Americans have their identity stolen and fraudulently used each year.  If your identity has been compromised you should take these steps:

1. Immediately contact any business where an account has been opened and have it terminated.  Be sure to obtain any case reference numbers provided so that you can provide them to law enforcement investigators.  If your credit cards have been used to make unauthorized purchases you should contact the credit card companies and cancel the cards.  Contact the retail businesses where the purchases were made and initiate a fraud investigation with the security department.  Again, be sure to note any case reference numbers or the name of the person you spoke with.

2. Call each of the credit reporting bureaus and have a fraud alert placed on your account. Equifax 800-525-6285   www.equifax.com; Experian 888-397-3742  www.experian.com; Transunion 800-680-7289  www.transunion.com 

3. File a police report.  Contact the Derry Township Police Department at 717-534-2202.

4. Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  The FTC has been charged by the Federal Government to document and track cases of identity theft in America. FTC’s Identity Theft Website  Download and review the FTC publication “Taking Charge-What to do if your identity is stolen”.