What to Do If You’re the Victim of Identity Theft
Every year millions and millions of people have their identity stolen. To be a victim of identity theft is stressful and devastating. Being in an identity theft situation is always nerve-racking. Beyond everything we need our proof of identity to protect for most important section of our adult life like purchasing a home, buying a car, and opening a credit account among many other. Having that said, suppose you have your identity stolen what will be your options. You don’t have to worry as from the study below you will discover more about identity theft protection and the correct guidelines to follow if you become the prey of identity theft, click here for more.
The first essential step is to let your creditors and banks know. Many banks and even creditors will take the necessary protection measures once they know that you as their cardholder have been victimized. On the other hand, your creditor and bank will inform you more about the various liability policies and protections in place when you contact them so you know information about what to expect.
If you suspect your identity is stolen, you should freeze your active credit. The moment you realize you are in an identity theft situation and have fallen victim to online fraud or credit fraud the best move is to freeze your credit. It helps lock all that information away which will prevent agencies from giving your credit report to other creditors. Most likely you will be required to create a pin that will be needed to lift the freeze later, for this reason, it is important to keep track of all that information to avoid any future problem, read more now. It is recommended to inform the creditors and banks the right way and also freeze the credit because this way you will have better protection than when you do just one.
Also when you find yourself in an identity theft situation it is important to report to the federal trade commission and your lawyer. Whether via a phone call or online, contact the federal trade commission to let them know of your identity being stolen and provide as many details as possible. The federal trade commission will do a great job at proving your identity has been stolen and provide a helpful recovery plan. A smart move will be to keep the copy of both the items available to you as you go to talk to the police, banks, and creditors. Additionally, contacting a lawyer will be important at this point. Don’t just take any lawyer but make sure they have a good name in the field. Ultimately, this is what you should do when you fall victim to identity theft.