Protect Yourself
Some things you can do to help protect yourself against identity theft are:
- Check your credit report annually
- Review your bills and statements on a regular basis
- Guard your mail and trash from theft
- Use caution when giving out personal information
- Copy the contents of your wallet or purse
- Report lost or stolen checks or credit cards immediately
Victim Resources
If you think you are a victim of ID theft, there a few things you should do:
- Contact the fraud departments of the 3 major credit bureaus:
- Equifax - 800-525-6285
- Experian - 888-397-3742
- TransUnion - 800-680-7289
- Notify your financial institution
- Inform your credit issuers
- File a police report with your local law enforcement
Federal Trade Commission
For additional information and advice, you can call the Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT or visit their identity theft website.