Eight Things To Do if Your Identity is Stolen

• 10/4/2019

It can happen to anyone. Identity theft is one of the top ranking crimes hitting people world-wide. Here's what to do if you find yourself a victim of identity theft.

Lock the compromised account

Dispute any fraudulent charges on your compromised accounts and ask to have them locked, or even shut down.

Place a fraud alert on your credit reports

This helps alert creditors that someone may be trying to open accounts in your name.

Consider a credit freeze

This will make it impossible for the scammer to open a credit line or loan in your name.

Alert the FTC

Visit identitytheft.gov and follow the site’s instructions.

Strengthen your passwords

In addition to changing them, use strong and different passwords for all your online accounts.

Check your account statements

It’s best to do so frequently to look for suspicious activity.

Open new credit cards and accounts

Replace compromised accounts that you’ve shut down so you can be inconvenienced as little as possible.

Repair your credit

Be extra careful about paying your bills on time and keeping your credit utilization low.