Before beginning the journey of re-claiming your identity, take a few minutes to gather and organize information.
Record how you first discovered your impostor.

Write down every detail pertinent to your case. Keep a log of everyone you contact or who contacts you regarding your identity theft. Record the date, time, telephone number, person's name, purpose of the call, what was accomplished, the follow-up needed, and other relevant notes. Also, write down any questions you asked and the answers received.

You are building a fraud file. Keep copies of all letters you write and all forms you submit. Mail everything by certified mail! KEEP THESE RECORDS IN A SAFE PLACE.

Be consistent and methodical and take action immediately!

In the majority of cases, you will find out that your identity has been stolen when you:

• received a telephone call from the Fraud Department of a bank, credit union, or other business inquiring about your recent credit application;
• are contacted by a collections department asking why your account is delinquent;
• open your telephone bill to discover several hundred dollars in long distance calls you did not make;
• find charges on your credit card statement you did not authorize;
• discover fraudulent checks on your checking account statement;
• are contacted by your bank or credit union informing you to make a deposit to cover bounced checks;
• are contacted by a store or other business demanding you cover NSF charges and bounced checks;
• find unauthorized withdrawals on your checking, savings, or investment account statements.

Most people learn they are victims of identity theft after several hundreds or thousands of dollars in money, services, and/or merchandise have been obtained in their name. Then again, each case is different. You may be able to stop your impostor before any losses are incurred.

Your first emotional reactions may be: shock, panic, anger, frustration, helplessness and a sense of violation. These are normal reactions. You are not alone. Acknowledge what you are feeling. However, do not let these emotions impede your ability to communicate quickly and effectively with the numerous agencies, banks, and businesses you must now contact. Refrain from using a cell phone or portable telephone while making calls regarding your case.

Expect to be on the telephone for long periods of time. Adding to the frustration, you may be on hold upwards of fifteen to forty-five minutes per call.

Be persistent while being polite. Do not take your frustrations out on the person on the other end of the telephone. If you find that person totally uncooperative, ask to speak to the supervisor. At this point, the burden is upon you to prove that you are who you say you are.

Remember you may have to deal with others who do not understand identity theft and how it impacts your life. Someone is certain to ask, "What did you do wrong?" Through this process, keep in mind that you are not at fault. Do not feel guilty or ashamed! A crime was committed against you.

File a complaint with your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible. Do not skip this step. Get the complaint number.

Get a copy of the report as soon as possible. You will be asked for the complaint number, date filed, and phone number of the law enforcement agency where the complaint originated. Those who will request this information include the Federal Trade Commission, the credit bureaus, and the institutions where accounts were applied for or opened in your name.

There are several reasons why you should file a police complaint:

(a) It may be your complaint that ties the theft to other cases. The information on your complaint may hold the missing link that leads to the apprehension and conviction of the criminal(s).

(b) Should the thief be convicted, you cannot legally recover for lost time, or wages, unless you have filed a complaint.

(c) Local law enforcement agencies do not know that a crime has been committed unless you report it. They cannot allocate funds or personnel for combating the crime unless they are aware it has happened.

(d) Other government agencies, lawmakers and consumer groups who keep statistics on identity theft need your information. Once again, funds and personnel cannot be allocated unless they have accurate statistics.

(e) These statistics are helpful to lawmakers. Effective legislation cannot be passed unless there are statistics to back up the need for such laws.

(f) It will help clear up your credit record down the road.

File the complaint in the city or county in which the theft occurred or where you reside. Often jurisdiction is not clear, especially if your case involves the crossing of state lines.

If your law enforcement agency will not take your complaint, you have no alternative but to skip this step at the present time. However, keep collecting information on your impostor's activities until you build a strong enough case to warrant an investigation. Keep in mind that each law enforcement agency differs. Each has their own internal policies and guidelines governing whether or not such cases will be investigated. It depends upon the amount of time and personnel available to investigate the crime.

Call the central dispatch or business telephone number. Do not call 911.
 
 

All financial and phone accounts should have an access password or PIN number. Be very careful when choosing these. Passwords and PIN numbers should be random and unique letters and digits. Although this makes it harder to remember, your accounts will be better protected.

Do not use the following types of information as passwords or PIN numbers:

• your mother's maiden name
• the last four digits of your social security number
• consecutive numbers or letters (example: 1234, abcd)
• your pet's name
• you or your spouse's date of birth
• your spouse, son or daughter's name
• your wedding anniversary
• your nickname
• your telephone number

• Telephone
• Cell phone
• Checking
• Savings
• Investments
• ATM and debit cards
• Credit cards

If your ATM or Debit Card has been stolen or used by someone else, report it to your bank immediately. Close this account and open one with a new account number and new password. Never use your old password. Never use your mother's maiden name, your date of birth, or your last four digits of your social security number as a password. Refer to the About Passwords and PIN Numbers section of this Web site. Act quickly to insure that you are not held liable for the fraudulent use of your card(s).

Tampering with the mail is a crime. It must be reported to the U.S. Postal Service if you believe your impostor may have:

• Stolen your mail to take over existing checking, credit card, or other investment accounts.
• Stolen pre-approved credit card applications to open new accounts.
• Stolen your bank statements or other investment account statements and used the information to open new accounts.
• Stolen your tax returns or other tax information to assume your identity.
• Stolen a box of blank checks from your mailbox.
• Filed a change of address form with the postal service.

Contact your local post office and report your suspicions.  Request the telephone number for the nearest Postal Inspection Service Office.  Or, visit the Postal Inspection Service Office Web site.  You can locate the nearest Postal Inspection Service Office by entering your city and state or zip code at:

http://www.framed.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-is.html

You will need to file a complaint (PS Form 2016, Mail Theft and Vandalism Complaint). This is very important. By comparing your complaint with others, it helps Postal Inspectors determine whether or not there is a mail theft problem in your community or if your case is random. Your complaint may also be instrumental in the arrest and conviction of your impostor.

If your impostor has filed bankruptcy in your name, you need to file a complaint with the United StatesTrustee (UST), the FBI, and/or U. S. Attorney in the city or region where the bankruptcy was filed. A complete list of the U.S. Trustee Program offices and their contact information is available at:

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/ustofc.htm

You are required to write a letter explaining that someone filed bankruptcy using your name. Also, you must provide proof of your identity. A sample letter and instructions in PDF format are available at:

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/r12/PDF/stolenidbky.pdf

You may need to hire an attorney to help you prove the bankruptcy is fraudulent.

Your impostor may break the law and be cited or arrested using your name. No nationwide standardized procedure exists for correcting a criminal record.  However, you should file an identity theft complaint with the law enforcement agency that issued the summons or arrested the person using your identity.  If a warrant was issued for your arrest, also contact the court where the warrant originated.  If your impostor used your identity in a county or state other than where you reside, contact your local law enforcement and file a complaint.  In either case, you may need to provide a complete set of fingerprints, picture, and personal identification documents.  You may need to hire an attorney to help you clear your name.

File a complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) if you believe you are a victim of online fraud.  The IFCC will review your complaint to determine if it warrants referral to a State, Local, or Federal law enforcement agency having jurisdiction.  The IFCC is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center.

For information on how to file a complaint, visit their Web site at:
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/strategy/howtofile.asp

The online complaint for is available at:
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/

In conjunction with Michigan laws, federal laws exist under the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 making identity theft a federal offense. Once certain guidelines are met, these cases are investigated by federal agencies and prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

For more information, visit the Department of Justice Web site at:
http://www.usdoj.gov/

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The FBI investigates cases involving identity theft once the money loss guideline has been met. Contact the field office nearest you or in the area where the identity theft took place. For a complete list of field offices, visit their Web site at:

http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

The FBI Michigan headquarters is located in Detroit. Contact the Detroit office at:  1-313-965-2323. You will be referred to the appropriate resident agency.

·        Sending an email to: Complaints.Detroit@fbi.gov
·        Completing the online complaint form at:  http://detroit.fbi.gov/complain.htm

For more information, visit the Detroit office of the FBI Web site at: http://detroit.fbi.gov/

U. S. Secret Service (USSS)

The USSS investigates cases of financial crime where there is a substantial financial loss or evidence of a "fraud ring's" involvement in identity theft. Contact the field office nearest you or in the area where the identity theft took place.

For a complete list of field offices, visit their Web site at:
http://www.secretservice.gov/field_offices.shtml

To contact a Michigan field office, call:
Detroit:  1-313-226-6400
Grand Rapids:  1-616-454-4671
Saginaw:  1-989-497-0580

Contact the Fraud Department of banks, credit unions, credit card companies, and investment firms with which you currently have accounts.

Advise them not to make any changes to your account including change of address or limit increase. Ask if any charges, changes, or withdrawals have been made since your last statement.

Put a PIN number or password on your account. Do not use your mother's maiden name or your birthdate. This information is readily obtainable through public records. DO NOT USE THE LAST FOUR DIGITS OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. Refer to the About Passwords and PIN Numbers section of this Web site.

For your protection, it is best to close your current credit card accounts and have them re-issued under a different account number. Ask that this action be reported as closed at customer's request instead of reported as a lost or stolen credit card. Too many reported incidences of lost or stolen credit cards could hamper your ability to obtain future credit.

Cancel all credit cards you do not use.

You now have your credit reports and notice that fraud alerts are on each of your credit bureau files. How do fraud alerts protect you? This means that when a potential creditor requests your credit bureau file, they should not issue any credit in your name without first contacting you personally. Note that once your credit bureau record has been flagged, it will make obtaining credit somewhat inconvenient for you.

For example, you are in the market to purchase new furniture. While in the showroom, you find the perfect living room suite and complete a credit application. Nowadays, most merchants have the ability to provide instant credit approval. Since you have a fraud alert on your credit file, instant loan or credit approval is no longer an option for you. You must leave the store, go home and wait for the salesperson to call you at the number indicated on your credit report. At this point, you must verify that you are who you say you are. Although this can become quite annoying, your inconvenience is a small price to pay for protection.

Each credit bureau is different. Some credit bureaus only put a temporary alert on your file and request paperwork from you in order to increase the duration of the fraud alert to seven years. YOU must initiate the paperwork. Other credit bureaus give you the option of choosing how long you wish the fraud alert to remain on your file.  This varies from ninety days, six months, or seven years.

Thoroughly review your credit reports including your personal information. Look over the list of businesses that have requested your credit history or opened accounts in your name. Determine which ones may involve fraudulent use of your identity.  Circle or mark all incorrect information.

Cleaning up your credit bureau files can be a long, tedious process. It is wise to restore your credit to the state it was before you became a victim of identity theft. Too many open accounts may indicate to a potential creditor or employer that you are having financial difficulty. Too many inquiries may indicate that you have applied for credit and been rejected several times.

Keep in mind that the Fair Credit Reporting Act allows only authorized inquiries to appear on the consumer credit report.

There are three options for correcting personal information, disputing fraudulent accounts opened in your name, or fraudulent charges on your current accounts.  You may:

• Complete the Dispute Form provided with your credit bureau reports.
• Complete the FTC Identity Theft Affidavit.
• Telephone the credit bureau and follow-up with a letter.  Below are sample letters for you to follow.

Letter Correcting Personal Information on Your Credit Bureau Report
If your credit bureau reports contain incorrect personal information, notify the credit bureau by telephone and follow-up in writing.  You must notify each credit bureau whose report contains erroneous personal information such as social security number, date of birth, telephone number or current address.  You may be asked to provide copies of three pieces of personal identification such as driver’s license, Social Security card, birth certificate, and a recent cell phone or telephone bill.

Letter to Credit Bureaus Disputing Fraudulent Charges
Notify the credit bureaus by telephone and follow-up with a letter, if you find accounts on your reports that do not belong to you or if your current accounts have been compromised.  The credit bureaus will initiate an investigation and report their findings to you in about thirty days.

Letter to Businesses Disputing Fraudulent Charges
Call each of the creditors listed on your credit bureau reports that you did not authorize to issuance credit in your name.  Ask them to contact the credit bureaus and have these accounts removed from your credit bureau reports.  Send a letter confirming your telephone conversation.

Letter to Businesses Requesting Removal of Unauthorized Credit Inquiries
Call each of the creditors listed on your credit bureau reports that you did not authorize to review your credit report.  Ask them to contact the credit bureaus and have these inquiries removed from your credit bureau reports.  Send a letter confirming your telephone conversation.

Register your home and mobile phone numbers on the National DO NOT CALL Registry to limit the number of telemarketing calls you receive.  If you do not wish to register online, call 1-888-382-1222.  Three months after you register, you should be receiving noticeably fewer telemarketing calls.  The telephone numbers you register will remain on the National Do Not Call Registry for five years.

For more information, visit the FTC Web site:
https://www.donotcall.gov/FAQ/FAQConsumersNew.aspx

You can opt-out of receiving unsolicited pre-approved credit card applications and insurance offers by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).  If you wish to opt-out permanently, you will be sent a form to complete and return. All three major credit bureaus use the same number to give consumers the choice of NOT receiving pre-screened offers.

The Direct Marketing Association is the oldest and largest trade association supplying businesses around the world with marketing lists. You may remove your name from the DMA email, telemarketing, and direct mail lists.

To opt-out of national mailing lists, follow the hyperlink below:
http://www.the-dma.org/cgi/offmailinglistdave

Complete the online form and select the "Register by Mail" button at the bottom of the page. Your information will then appear in a letter format. Print the letter and mail to the address below. Keep a copy for your records. Your name will be removed from national mailing lists for five years.

If you prefer, you may write a letter and ask that your name be removed. Mail the letter to:

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

To opt-out of telemarketing lists, follow the hyperlink below:
http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offtelephonedave

Complete the form and select the "Register by Mail" button at the bottom of the page. Your information will then appear in a letter format.  Print the letter and mail to the address below. Keep a copy for your records. Your name will be removed from national telemarketing lists for five years.

If you prefer, you may write a letter and ask that your name be removed. Mail the letter to:

Telephone Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 1559
Carmel, NY 10512

To remove your email address from commercial email lists, follow the link below:
http://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumers/optoutform_emps.shtml

You will have to complete the on-line form. You may enter up to three email addresses.  A verification email will be sent to your email addresses.  In order for your email addresses to be removed from the list, you must reply to the verification email. The opt-out remains in effect for two years.

There are many ways to opt-out of Lexis-Nexis People Locator services and products. These products include P-TRAK, P-SEEK, P-SRCH, P-SRCH2 and P-FIND. Information for removing your personal information from these databases is located on their Web site at:
http://www.lexisnexis.com/terms/privacy/data/remove.shtml

To opt-out of the US SEARCH Public Record Report, contact them in writing. Mail your letter to:

US SEARCH
Opt-Out Program
600 Corporate Pointe, Suite 220
Culver City, CA 90230

Include your complete name, mailing address, email addresses, date of birth, and social security number, previous addresses and aliases. You must follow this opt-out procedure once every two years or every time you receive credit using a variation of your name (such as obtaining credit using your middle initial instead of your middle name) as well as every time you move. The opt-out option only applies to the Public Record Report. Your name will remain in the People Locate Service, Criminal Search, Instant Search and Name Search.

Most directories found on the World Wide Web come from public records such as telephone books. The best way to keep from having your name, address, and telephone number listed in these directories, is to get an unlisted telephone number. At the very least, call your local telephone company and request that only your last name be listed and your address withheld from the telephone book.

The journey to re-claiming your identity has been long. You just completed a frantic rush of writing letters and making telephone calls. Reflecting back upon your journey so far, you realize that some special people helped and encouraged you. Remember to thank them! Take the time to write them a letter telling them how much you appreciate their efforts.

You may have encountered a special employee of a bank, credit card company, government agency, law enforcement agency, or other business. Write a letter of praise to his or her immediate supervisor. And call us if we can help you through this process.

The Michigan State University Identity Theft Partnerships in Prevention Program and its representatives have used reasonable endeavors to ensure that material contained on this web site is correct at the time the page was created and last modified.

All information and assistance is offered as a service to victims of Identity Theft and for those individuals and businesses interested in learning about the topic.

However:

• we give no warranty and accept no responsibility for the accuracy or the completeness of the material although every step possible was made to provide both accurate and complete information;
• we ask that you do not rely solely on the material presented on this Web site. New information is constantly being released as public awareness increases; and
• we reserve the right to make changes to this Web site as deemed appropriate.

In no event shall the Michigan State University Identity Theft Partnerships in Prevention Program or its representatives be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages of any kind whatsoever with respect to the materials presented in these web pages.

Keep in mind that each incident of Identity Theft is somewhat different. Furthermore, policies and procedures of banks, credit unions, government agencies, credit bureaus, etc. are constantly changing. Telephone numbers may become obsolete.

Each step of the process of re-claiming your identity depends entirely upon the cooperation of others. In some cases, you may be allowed to complete a step over the telephone while the next person is allowed to complete that same step only by mail. Thus, the information provided here constitutes general guidelines for victims.

If you have additional information that others may find helpful, please contact us. Let us know if a link becomes obsolete or misdirected. Your input is encouraged and greatly appreciated.