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Home
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Steps to Take
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Types of Fraud
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More Info
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Contact each of the national credit reporting agencies.
Have them put a fraud alert on your file, which will aid in preventing new
credit accounts from being opened without your express permission. Below is
contact information for each credit reporting agency's fraud division:
Check your credit report.
Get your credit report and check for any new accounts opened in your name.
Because new accounts may take up to six months to show up on the report,
continue to monitor your credit report.
Freeze fraudulent accounts.
Contact the appropriate creditors, banks, phone companies, and utility
companies and have them freeze the accounts. You'll probably be liable for only
$50 of the fraudulent charges, but different issuers have different policies.
Most creditors promptly issue replacement cards with new account numbers.
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There are also a number of helpful services to help you respond if you
have been a victim of identity theft:
Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Hotline
800/269-0271
Social Security Administration's Fraud Hotline
877/ID-THEFT
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