Mistaken Identity

15 02 2007

The bank rings to indicate somebody bought $5000 worth of grocery from Kroger’s. There is no Kroger’s on the West Coast and you shop at the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings. What do you do? First you take some tea and power up the computer. Then you take some definitive steps:

Ring one of three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to place a fraud alert on your credit report. Ringing one alerts the other two. This alert precludes thieves from opening new accounts under your name.
If a new account has been opened in your name, contact each creditor and notify of the fraudulent activity. They will close the accounts and you have to fill out a fraud affidavit.
For accounts you opened that are now compromised, contact the creditor and inform of stolen identity. The account will be closed and you will be read through the most recent charges to help determine how long the abuse has been going on.
Contact your local police station. A detective is assigned who will ask for details such as where the charges occurred, how much was spent, and how the identity was stolen (internet? wallet lost?) Write down and file away the detective’s number and case number assigned. Many fraud affidavits ask for this information. Also the detective could be cute. Theoretical.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-IDTHEFT
Change all of your online passwords immediately and think of a completely different word for each of your accounts. While it is inconvenient to type a password each time you log in, never save your password online or on your PC
If you lost your entire wallet or believe that someone is using your driver’s license, visit the DMV online site in your State and get a new driver’s license number and card even if you just renewed your license.
Keep records. Write down the name of the individual you spoke with, their employer, date and time, and a summary ofyour discussion. Keep all this in paper copy form in a central accessible location.