| Not too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that | | | | due to fraud blocked from your records. |
| one of his coworkers recently recovered his stolen | | | | This brings us to the credit bureaus. Make sure your |
| identity. I asked how long the process took. "Only | | | | credit report reflects the identity theft and gets |
| two years" he replied. | | | | flagged with a fraud alert. Many victims have |
| Compared to my business partner's six year | | | | received assurances that the matter would be |
| nightmare "only" maybe appropriate but like most | | | | resolved, however months and sometimes years |
| victims of identity theft, he probably thought "when". | | | | later, the credit bureaus have not cleared their |
| As in, "when will I get my life back?" | | | | records. This without a doubt ranks as THE biggest |
| Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer nonprofit | | | | headache for identity theft victims. |
| organization, reported that victims spend on average | | | | Once a negative gets put on your record, it seems |
| 175 hours trying to recover their identity, often over | | | | the credit bureaus refuse to remove it, in spite of |
| a period of years. Factor in out of pocket expenses, | | | | the countless documentation you provide to them. |
| (usually over $1,500 according to the FTC) and | | | | This can affect you well into the future when buying |
| recovery gets painfully magnified. | | | | a house, car or any other big ticket item. If you are |
| What are the steps to identity restoration? It starts | | | | going to do this by yourself, constant follow up is |
| with obtaining a police report. That report doesn't | | | | critical. That goes for all the organizations but |
| mean other law enforcement agencies have been | | | | especially the credit bureaus. Be diligent until the |
| contacted. Yet you must do a complete search of | | | | matter gets resolved. Getting a lawyer wouldn't be a |
| local and federal law enforcement databases too find | | | | bad idea. |
| out if anything else, including criminal activity exists on | | | | Stay Away from "credit repair companies". No matter |
| your identity. | | | | what they advertise, there's usually nothing they can |
| You're also going to need the police report to | | | | do to help you with identity theft. Some of them |
| contact the many and I mean many different | | | | even offer to help you apply for credit under a new |
| agencies and organizations, including the Social | | | | identity. Hello? When trying to eliminate fraud from |
| Security Administration, The Federal Trade | | | | your record you don't want to create more fraud! |
| Commission, all of your financial institutions, the 3 | | | | Advise the utility companies. It's not just bank |
| major credit bureaus, the Passport Office,The | | | | accounts and credit cards. Many identity thieves |
| Department of Motor Vehicles, the Post Office, as | | | | commit fraud by opening telephone accounts, |
| well as the Medical Information Bureau . All of these | | | | purchasing cable television or establishing credit with |
| places must be sent a fraud notification alert. | | | | the gas & electric companies, in the hopes it will go |
| Concerning your financial institutions, get them to | | | | unnoticed for as long as possible. |
| cancel your credit cards and close your bank | | | | If necessary get counseling. Identity theft can be a |
| accounts. Find out from your bank about any | | | | shattering experience mentally and emotionally. |
| suspicious activity, such as accounts tampered with | | | | Victims and family members often feel violated. It's |
| or opened fraudulently. Reopen new bank accounts | | | | not their fault of course but the feelings remain. A |
| with password verification. | | | | network of support groups and counselors exists if |
| Know your rights. According to the Fair Credit | | | | you need it. |
| Reporting Act of 1992, you must be told not only | | | | The road back from identity theft can take years, |
| what's in your file but if that information is being used | | | | cost a lot of money,and cause much stress and pain . |
| against you. The Federal Trade Commission recently | | | | But with follow up, support and belief that the |
| expanded the rights available to victims of identity | | | | nightmare will end...the nightmare WILL end. |
| theft, including your right to get negative information | | | | |