1) Report the crime to the police immediately. Get a copy of the police report or case number. Credit card companies, the bank, or insurance companies may ask for the reference to verify the crime.

2) Immediately contact the credit card issuers. Get replacement cards with new account numbers and ask that the old account be processed as “account closed at consumer’s request” for credit record purposes. Follow up with a letter to the credit card company that summarizes the request in writing.

3) Call the fraud units of the three credit reporting bureaus to report the theft. Ask that the accounts be flagged. Also, add a victim’s statement to the report requesting that you be contacted to verify future credit applications.

4) Notify the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General if the Social Security number has been used fraudulently.

5) File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

To file a complaint or get free information about consumer issues from the Federal Trade Commission:

Reputable credit counseling organizations advise on managing money and debts, help develop a budget, and usually offer free educational materials and workshops. Counselors are certified and trained in the areas of consumer credit, money and debt management, and budgeting.

• Never provide personal financial information over the phone or the internet if you did not initiate the contact. Instead, call the company yourself for verification.
• Do not be intimidated by an email or phone call. Any communication suggesting dire consequences for failing to provide or verify financial information should be ignored.
• Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving, contact the lending institution immediately.
• Don’t fall for an IRS imposter.The IRS does not send out unsolicited emails asking for personal information