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Identity theft is a very difficult experience because it can take years to repair the damage caused by the theft and there is no way to be sure that the person will not be victimized again.  Knowing how to report identity theft and how to obtain a free credit report can help provide the person that has been victimized with peace of mind after the crime and may even lead to the prosecution of the criminal that has stolen the person’s identity.  The method for reporting identity theft properly is easy to understand and can be accomplished fairly quickly, but it does take time to correct all of the information that has been compromised and solve all of the problems that the identity theft can cause.

Steps For Reporting Identity Theft Properly

If the person reviews their credit report and finds that they have been the victim of identity theft, it is important that they know how to report the identity theft properly to limit their accountability for the charges that have been incurred.  First, the credit card company should be notified that a fraudulent account has been opened.  A request should be made that the company close the account immediately and flag wherever the account has been used to aid law enforcement in finding the criminal that has opened the account. 

Next, a police report should be made of the theft so that law enforcement is aware of the theft and the criminal can be prosecuted with criminal charges once they have been found.  The final step is to contact the credit reporting bureaus to alert them to the identity theft and let them know what accounts are in question so that they can be removed from their credit report and monitored for further action.  Following these steps quickly after the questionable accounts have been found can ensure that these accounts are closed quickly before they can cause more damage to the person’s credit history and credit score.

Why Is Knowing The Proper Method So Important?

Knowing the proper way to report identity theft is important so that the person can regain their identity quickly and limit while minimizing the number of problems caused to the person’s credit history.  The first thing that typically occurs in an identity theft is a credit card obtained using the person’s personal information and many things are charged to the credit card as quickly as possible.  These credit cards are used for a very short time period and then the thief gets rid of the credit card and all of the information associated with the card.  This reduces the likelihood of the criminal being caught with incriminating information and reduces the case against them when they are finally caught. 

Every person should review their credit report on a regular basis to make sure that there is nothing on the credit report to indicate that the person has become a victim of identity theft.  Often, the first indication that a person will have that they have been a victim of identity theft is that they obtain a current credit report and find an account or several different accounts that they do not remember opening.  The person will never receive any statements from the credit accounts that have been opened because the criminal will use a dummy address to prevent the victim from being alerted.  Knowing the proper way to report identity theft allows the person to report anything abnormal on their credit report in a timely fashion to give the law enforcement a better chance of catching the criminal.