Notifying the authorities of suspected ID theft

If you suspect that you have been the victim of identity theft, you need to act quickly, by notifying the credit bureaus, your financial institutions, and the authorities.


This page:

    • Outlines the process of reporting ID theft to the police

    • Describes what to say when contacting the Federal Trade Commission

    • Lists the contact information of the FTC

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File a police report

If you are the victim of identity theft, responding quickly is crucial and saves you a lot of hassle in the long run. Although it's unlikely the culprit will be apprehended, its still a good idea to file a police report.

As a victim of identity theft, it is your responsibility to contact the local police and notify them of the theft.

Normally, this can be done over the phone and requires only a little time. To file a report, you need to supply your personal identification information along with the date of the incident.

Filing a police report establishes you as a victim of fraud and provides documented proof of your claim.

This is especially important should any institution need documentation in order to process a refund.

Contact the FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for receiving and processing complaints from consumers victimized by identity theft.

Notifying the FTC early is especially important if you want to resolve things quickly and limit the damage done to your credit reputation.

You can call the FTC at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338).

Be ready to supply personal information along with the date of the incident and the accounts showing fraudulent activity.

The FTC also provides an identity theft affidavit, which most financial institutions and credit bureaus use when you report id theft to them. You can download the affidavit here:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf

Don't wait! The longer you take to notify the FTC, the more damage is done to your credit report and the bigger the hassle it is to straighten out.


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