ID Theft Information

Identity theft occurs when an unauthorized party uses your personally identifying information, such as your name, address, Social Security Number, credit card number or bank account information to assume your identity in order to commit fraud or other criminal acts. It is one of the most distressing situations you can experience. We've created this resource to help you understand identity theft, recover if you have experienced this issue and protect yourself in the future.

Report ID Theft

If you confirmed that you are the victim of fraud, you should complete the following steps:

  1. Contact the fraud department of each credit bureau to place a "fraud alert" on your credit report.
  2. Request a victim's statement that asks creditors to contact you prior to opening new accounts or making changes to any existing accounts.
  3. Report your identity theft with the Federal Trade Commission
  4. Follow the FTC guide on recovering from ID theft

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
To order your report: 1-800-685-1111
To report fraud: 1-888-766-0008
TDD: 866-478-0030
www.equifax.com/CreditReportAssistance/

TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016-2000
To order your report: 1-800-888-4213
To report fraud: 1-800-680-7289
service.transunion.com/dss/login.page?dest=fraudAlert

Experian
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
To order your report: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
To report fraud: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
TDD: 800-972-0322
www.experian.com/fraud/center.html

Learn more from our Essential Identity Theft Prevention and Detection Guide

Prevent ID Theft

One of the best ways to prevent ID theft is to place a freeze your credit report. Even if you haven't experienced ID theft, there are many reasons to place a freeze so no activity can take place on your report without your knowledge. For example, anyone who handles monetary operations for an organization should consider freezing their own credit. It will also stop unsolicited offers of credit, since no one can pull your credit report while the freeze is in effect.

Each credit bureau offers instructions for placing a credit freeze. It's best to do so at all three bureaus. You can unfreeze anytime you need to apply for more credit.

Learn more from our Essential Identity Theft Prevention and Detection Guide

Request Free Credit Report

If you suspect that you are the target or victim of ID theft you should review your free credit report to ensure there are no issues. You can do so once a year through the Annual Credit Report Request Service from each of the three credit bureaus:

  1. Equifax
  2. experian
  3. TransUnion

You can request your credit report through the Annual Credit Report Request Service in three ways:

  1. Online
  2. Phone
  3. Mail

 

Request Free Credit Report