Identity Theft Solutions -Contact the Credit Bureau Fraud Departments

First things first, you need to get a fraud alert and a victim statement placed on your credit reports. The fraud alert is a signal to businesses that someone’s been doing nasty things with your identity. It will prompt a credit card company to be a little more careful next time “you” apply for a card. The victim statement is a word from you, and you want it to go something like this: “My identifying information has been used to commit fraud. Please call me at [insert your phone number] to verify all applications.” (Please note that fraud alerts and victim statements will make it more complicated for you to apply for credit—that’s the point! If it’s a hassle for you, it should be impossible for a thief.)

To make things less complicated, for once, one phone call will do the job of notifying all three credit bureaus. Call any one of the fraud departments listed below, tell them you are a victim, and ask for a fraud alert and victim statement. Once one credit bureau has your info, they’ll bring the other two up to speed. Fraud alerts will be placed on all of your credit reports, and you’ll receive a complimentary copy of each report. (When these arrive, check them carefully to make sure you’re aware of all the fraud that’s occurred.)

The “one-call” system only places fraud alerts and victim statements on your report for a short period of time—usually three to twelve months. To make it more permanent, seven years of permanence to be exact, you’ll need to write to each credit bureau separately and request a renewal.
Be careful, however: if your situation was minor and easily cleared up, you may not want a fraud alert on your record for seven long years, since the alert will make it harder for you to get credit when you need it.

Also, keep in mind that credit grantors abide by fraud alerts and victim statements on a voluntary basis only. So far, no law requires that they do so. This means it may still be possible for a thief to open accounts in your name, so continue to order your credit reports every three months for at least a year.