If your identity is stolen, the first thing you should do is submit a police complaint or an identity theft report detailing the loss. When you file this complaint to either the firm where the thief exploited your information or the three main credit reporting agencies, you will be granted certain legal rights. Before you fill out the police identity theft report in person at the police station, fill out a Police Report Worksheet and bring it with you to ensure you have all of the information you need.
Although you may not require an identity theft report if you are able to resolve the details of the theft with your company or provider, you will require one if a new account has been opened in your name, if fraudulent charges have been reported to consumer reporting agencies, or if you want copies of the thief’s application and transactional information from the companies that dealt with them.
To get an identity theft report, the officer assisting you may include your Police Report Worksheet in their report for additional information. You should get a copy of the official police report from the officer and maintain a copy of the police report number. To complete your identity theft report, follow these two steps:
File a report with your local, state, or even federal law enforcement agency, such as the police department, state attorney general’s office, FBI, or even the United States Postal Service. Include as much information as possible in your report, such as the dates of the theft, fraudulent accounts, and tampered accounts. A Police Report Worksheet will help you arrange all of this information and decide what specifics to add.
Send a copy of your identity theft report to all businesses involved, as well as your credit reporting agencies. This should be sent certified mail. If the firms ask for further information to corroborate your identity theft, you must provide it within fifteen days of getting your identity theft report. The credit reporting organization now has fifteen days to verify that your identity theft report is comprehensive. It might then take up to five days for them to evaluate the information you provide.
The identity theft report guarantees that these debts will not return on your account and may be used to permanently prevent any fake information obtained as a consequence of the theft. It is also required for your credit report’s extended fraud alert. You must send your report to one of the three main credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, or Trans Union), along with a cover letter and accompanying evidence. Send all of your information via certified mail once more.
