What can you do if you've been a victim of idenity theft?
Sep 14, 2009
in
Commercial Mortgage FAQ
I just checked my credit report and found that there are several charges and accounts that I never opened. I am beyond angry and I keep getting denied apartments (financing) because of it. What can I do?
The apartment complex that I want to move in to said I should flag my credit report. I have no idea how to do that or how it works and how long it takes. Someone pleeeeeeease help me! 
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2 comments
ruca80 on September 14, 2009 at 4:21 pm
1. notify the 3 major credit bureaus (transunion, experian, equifax) and a) dispute the trade lines and b) have them put a fraud alert on your credit report
2. after you do step number 1, you should sign up for a credit monitoring service. This way, any time an inquiry is done on your credit report, you get notified. You can nip it in the butt much faster this way.
3. most banks offer this type of service and so do the credit card companies. Wells Fargo offers one through Trilegent (I think that is how you spell it).
4. after it gets disputed, the credit agencies have 30 days to investigate it and send you an updated credit report once that’s done.
beautiful_brown_pisces_eyes on September 14, 2009 at 4:21 pm
I took a Financing course in the fall, and these are the notes I have about reporting identity theft. HTH:
**"Maintain a record of who you talk to and correspond with, the organization with which they are affiliated, the date of the conversation or correspondence, the phone number and/or address, and if it is a verbal conversation, notes on the nature of it. Keep a copy of all correspondence (letter, e-mail, fax). It’s best to certify your corresponence and keep the recepit (i.e. certified mail)."**
*"Contact your local police department or sheriff’s department and in that a report be written. Keep a copy for your records."
*"Contact the FTC (link in source area). You should receive a standard form with procedures for informing creditors and beureaus that you’re a credit theft/identity theft victim."
*"Notify the major credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, and TansUnion) and request that a fraud alert be placed on your file. They last up to 90 days on your report. Longer if an extension is filed."
*"Contact all of your creditors and any creditors in which unauthorized accounts have been opened in your name."
*"Change all your passwords and don’t use those which can easily be accessed (mother’s maiden name, last three of your SSN, etc)."
*"If the thief has gained access to your bank account or created accounts in your name, contact check verification companies. They main a database of individuals who have written bad checks and of accounts where there have been excessive or unusual transactions."
*If you believe the thief has in any way obtained your data or ill"egally used your personal information involving the U.S. Postal Service, contact your local Post Office to make an appoitment with the Postal Inspection Service."
*Check with the Social Security Administration if you feel it’s possible your SSN has been accessed by the thief. You may have to get a new SSN.
I know all of this may seem overwhelming, but it’s better to prevent anything worse from happening. The sites listed below are there to assist you, and they provide excellent information.
Good luck and I hope everything works out for you!