Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
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Chapter 5: Resources

Credit Reporting Bureaus/Accessing Credit Reports

  • Annual Credit Report Request Service
    To order a credit report call: (877) 322-8228
    P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
    www.annualcreditreport.com

  • Equifax
    To order your report (800) 685-1111
    To report fraud (888) 766-0008
    P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374
    www.equifax.com

  • Experian
    To order a credit report and report fraud, call: (888) 397-3742
    P.O. Box 2104, Allen, TX 75013-2104
    www.experian.com

  • TransUnion
    To order your report (800) 888-4213
    To report fraud (800) 680-7289
    TransUnion, 2 Baldwin Pl, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022
    www.transunion.com


Government Agencies

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
    The CFPB oversees the operation of credit bureaus and maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.

    (855) 411-2372
    www.consumerfinance.gov
  • U.S. Postal Inspection Service
    (877) 876-2455
    Criminal Investigations Service Center, Attn: Mail Fraud
    222 S Riverside Plaza Ste 1250, Chicago, IL 60606
    http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov

Checking Account Fraud

In addition to reporting checking account fraud to your financial institution, you can report it to these agencies that monitor checking account transactions:

  • ChexSystems
    (800) 428-9623
    7805 Hudson Road, Suite 100, Woodbury, MN 55125
    www.consumerdebit.com

  • TeleCheck:
    (800) 710-9898
    Attn: Forgery Department, P.O. Box 4451, Houston, TX 77210
    www.telecheck.com

Miscellaneous

 

Identity Theft Action Log

If you are a victim of identity theft, breathe deeply. Minimizing damage will take patience and a systematic approach. To start, commit yourself to becoming and remaining organized. Since you will be communicating with a lot of people and have many tasks to complete, use this Identity Theft Action Log to keep track of your efforts. Keep copies of all letters you send and receive, file paperwork promptly, and store everything in a safe and accessible place.

Download the Identity Theft Action Log (PDF)

 

Glossary of Terms

Account takeover – When an identity thief uses your personal information to convince a financial institution to give him or her full control of your account.

Affidavit of factual innocence – A legal document issued by a court, stating that you’re innocent. You may need one of these if you’ve been wrongfully arrested as a result of identity theft.

Affidavit of forgery – A legal document that states that a certain signature is not yours, but a forgery.

Check washing – A method identity thieves use to commit check fraud. They dip a check in acetone, which washes the ink off so they can write it for a higher amount.

Credit repair agency – A company that offers “cleanup” services to remove accurate information from your credit report. Often illegal and expensive, they are sometimes called credit clinics.

Credit reporting agency (CRA) – Commonly known as credit bureaus, they keep track of credit records, and issue credit reports to those who have a legitimate reason for accessing your credit history.

DL stop (driver license stop) – A DL stop is a system that puts a flag on your driver license in the Department of Motor Vehicle’s database, to show that your license has been lost or stolen.

Fraud alert – A fraud alert is put on your credit report at the CRAs if you become an identity theft victim. It lets potential creditors know that someone may be trying to obtain new credit in your name, so the process will be very closely scrutinized.

Permissible purposes – Guidelines set out in the FCRA that outline the allowable reasons for requesting a copy of a credit report. One of those reasons is if you’re a victim of identity theft.

Truncated credit card number – When all the digits of your credit or debit card number, except for the last four or five, are “x’d” out on a receipt or other document. This is done to protect you from identity theft.

Victim’s statement – A statement that is attached to your credit report when you think you may be a victim of identity theft. It asks creditors to contact you before opening any new credit accounts, or making any changes to existing ones.

 

Download the printer-friendly booklet (PDF):
Identity Theft Solutions

 
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