What to Do If You Become a Victim of an Identity Thief?
Identity thief is the illegal use of a person’s Social Security number, credit card or other personal information to commit a crime. According to a report from Javelin Strategy & Research, identity fraud cost 40 million Americans a combined $43 billion. Data shows in 2022, financial services make great progress toward preventing the crime resulting in losses that were $9 billion less than 2021’s.
However, while our financial institutions are doing what they can to protect our personal information from those who wish to fraudulently use it, we can also take steps to protect ourselves. One of the first things is to not give out your bank account and Social Security numbers to people over the phone. Many scammers claim to be from your bank or a government entity and tell the person they are trying to protect them, when in fact they are doing the opposite. Remember the Social Security office or your bank is not going to call you and ask for your number.
Another way to prevent identity thieves is to not reply back to phishing emails. These types of emails or text messages can contain official looking logos and promise free services or goods, lottery prizes or government grants. Others may tell you there is a problem with your bank or tech company and they need information to settle the account. AARP says the security company, Valimail estimates 3.4 billion fake emails are sent out every day worldwide.
The US Government Office of Justice Programs says in the event of having your identity stolen:
Place a fraud alert on your credit report.
Close out accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.
File a report with your local police department.
They recommend keeping a log of all of your correspondences and actions taken to report the incident. This should include dates, names and phones of who you contacted or reported the thief to as well as sending documents via certified mail. Keep a record of any expenses incurred in case you are entitled to restitution when the responsible party is caught.
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Source: aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/identity-theft.