How to Report Identity Theft

Author: Andy Mitchel | Filed under: Identity Theft Recovery | No Comments »

Identity theft involves the use of a person’s personal or financial information by someone else without the owner’s acknowledgment. It is important to learn how to report identity theft in order to ensure that personal and financial information is not misused by the wrong people. Thieves can acquire a person’s personal and financial information through theft or fraud. It can occur when a person fraudulently represents a legitimate company and cheats another one to provide his/her personal information. It can also happen when a person gets an email from a fraudulently represented legitimate organization and is asked to provide personal information which is later used for identity theft. This shows that it is important to learn how to report identity theft to the right officers to get assistance.

When a person’s personal information has been exposed to the wrong people, the right authorities should be informed in order to get help. One should report identity theft to the right authorities in order to seek good assistance. A police case can be filed when the affected person suspects a case of identity theft. It is also possible to file a report with the federal trade commission which protects consumers in case there is suspicion of identity theft. The federal trade commission can share the identity theft report with other law enforcement agencies in order to aid in investigation.

When identity theft has been reported to the available authorities, it is also good for the affected person to contact his/her financial institution in order to ensure that the identity thief does not succeed to make any transactions from that account. In addition, the person whose identity has been stolen can speak to the security and fraud department in the financial institution in order to report about the identity theft. It is however crucial to report identity theft in writing in order to provide room for future reference. When the issue has been solved in the financial institution, a letter stating the closing of the account should be provided to the affected person in order to guarantee the safety of the person’s valuables.

Reporting identity theft will also require the affected person to notify other financial institutions. It is good to make all the financial institutions aware of your identity theft to ensure that no transaction is carried out with your information. If the identity theft case is wide spread, the financial institutions can place a fraud alert on all the accounts in order to have a close monitoring for any unusual activity.

It is essential to know how to report identity theft because one will limit the losses that could have emanated from the failure to report such a theft to the concerned bodies and authorities. A person can also contact the credit bureaus in order to ensure that no transactions are done using the stolen information. The credit bureaus can compile reports which will help to ensure that money is not stolen from such accounts. In this connection, it is crucial to learn how to report identity theft in order to avoid losses that occur as a result of identity theft.