Check transactions on all credit account statements including credit cards, home equity lines of credit, bank accounts, investment accounts and telephone bills. Close accounts that have been tampered with and open new ones with new PINs and passwords. If an identity thief has tampered with your savings or checking account or ATM card, close the account immediately. When opening new accounts, avoid using easily available information for a password. Keep an eye on all of your accounts going forward.
You may also want to contact other agencies for other types of identity theft:
- The Social Security Administration if you suspect that your Social Security number is being fraudulently used (call 800-269-0271 to report the fraud).
- The Internal Revenue Service if you suspect the improper use of identification information in connection with tax violations (call 800-829-0433 to report the violations).
- Your local office of the Postal Inspection Service if you suspect that an identity thief has submitted a change of address form with the Post Office to redirect your mail, or has used the mail to commit frauds involving your identity.
Maintain a written record of what happened, what was lost and the steps you took to report the incident to the various agencies, financial institutions and firms impacted. Be sure to record the date, time, contact telephone numbers, person you spoke with and any relevant report or reference number and instructions.
