What Can I Do About Unauthorized Charges on a Credit Card Bill Due to Identity Theft?
There are a number of steps to take and to take quickly, since identity thieves all over the world can act on the information they've stolen -- and it can take years to straighten out the tangles they can cause.
Close the account. Call the company holding the account that's been tampered with and ask to speak with someone in the security or fraud department to ensure your claim receives the proper treatment. Most will agree to express a replacement card. If you're calling for another person, be aware that the company will ask to speak with the account holder to verify that you're authorized to speak on his or her behalf. Keep copies of all correspondence and attachments and ask that the company send a letter verifying that it has closed the account and discharged any fraudulent debts. Keep that letter, too; it can serve as valuable evidence if future problems arise.
Contact the consumer credit reporting agencies. Contact one of the three consumer reporting companies listed below and request a fraud alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two to place an alert on their versions of the report.
An initial fraud alert lasts for 90 days. It will require businesses to verify the authority to open a new account in your name or to increase the credit limit or get an additional card for your account. It also entitles you to one free credit report from one of the credit reporting agencies so you can monitor whether there are any additional hijinks happening to accounts in your name. An extended alert is available if you have a complete identity theft report as described above. It lasts for seven years, requires businesses to verify purchases with you before finalizing them, and entitles you to two free credit reports.
The consumer credit reporting agencies are listed below:
TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834
Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 105069, Atlanta, GA 30348
Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
Contact law enforcement. Contact the local police or sheriff's department and file a report. This is an essential step if creditors and others who have been defrauded demand to see a police report or at least get the case number before agreeing to take steps to right the wrongs done.
It's usually best to file the report in person. And because local law enforcement personnel have differing levels of knowledge and sophistication in dealing with identity theft, you can help assure that you'll get the most complete and helpful report possible by printing out and bringing with you a copy of the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Complaint Form. That form is the place to record details about accounts that were wrongfully opened or misused by the identity thief. Ask the police to attach or incorporate it into your complaint. Be sure to keep a complete copy of all these documents.
If the police or sheriff seem hesitant about filing a complete complaint, explain that you need it to enforce your legal rights. If you don't get the cooperation you need, contact your state attorney general. Representatives at that office should be able to tell you whether police are required to take reports for identity theft -- it's mandatory under many new state laws -- and can also advise you about what other protection programs and procedures are available locally.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, is the government agency charged with protecting consumers against varying types of fraud. Informing the agency of an identity theft will enable the FTC to clamp down on similar future crimes by passing along the information to other agencies and companies involved in ferreting out identity theft.
File a complaint with the FTC:
By telephone at 877-438-4338 or TTY at 866-653-4261
By mail at Identity Theft Clearinghouse Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580
Recommended for you
- How to Protect Older Family Members From Fraud
- Fraud Protection for Your Parents (and You)
- What can I do to stop my brothers from commiting fraud against my mother?
- How can I check my parent's FEGLI benefits if another family member has already passed themselves off as me?
- Beware: Scammers Are Targeting Grandparents
- See all 55 questions about Scams, Gambling and Other worries
