What steps should identity theft victims take?

1. Contact one of three credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports. It is not necessary to call all three as the bureau you contact is required to contact the other two.
   
   Equifax
   P.O. Box 105873
   Atlanta, GA 30348
   http://www.equifax.com/
   (800) 685-1111
   
   Trans Union
   Consumer Disclosure Center
   P.O. Box 1000
   Chester, PA 19022
   http://www.transunion.com/
   (800) 916-8800 or (800) 888-4213
   
   Experian
   P.O. Box 2104
   Allen, TX 75013-2104
   http://www.experian.com
   (888) 397-3742
   
2. Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been compromised or opened without your authorization.
3. File a report with your local police.
4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

You can file a complaint online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. If you don't have Internet access, call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653- 4261; or write: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Be sure to call the Hotline to update your complaint if you have any additional information or problems.

If you should become a victim of identity theft you can also refer to "Identity Theft Victims: Immediate Steps" The Federal Trade Commission has a comprehensive website, "Take Charge:Fighting Back Against Identity Theft" at http://www.ftc.gov . This site is an excellent resource for helping consumers Deter, Detect, and Defend against identity theft. The site will give you the recommended contact information and procedures for you to:

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