Central Insurance
Original post authored by Assured Neace Lukens and shared with their permission.
In our first blog on identity theft, we discussed the first steps you should take after your identity has been stolen. Once you have reported the theft to the proper authorities and contacted your insurance agent, the next course of action is repairing the damage:
- Close new accounts opened in your name by calling the business’ fraud department. Ask them to close the account and to send you a letter confirming that the fraudulent account isn’t yours, you aren’t liable for it, and it was removed from your credit report.
- Remove bogus charges from your accounts by calling the fraud department of each business, telling them the charges were fraudulent and ask them to move those charges. Ask the business to send you a letter confirming they removed the fraudulent charges.
- Correct your credit report by writing to each of the three credit bureaus. Ask them to block the information on the report that came from identity theft. A sample letter can be found here.
- Equifax: P.O. Box 105069, Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
- Experian: P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
- TransUnion: Fraud Victim Assistance Department, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022-2000
- Considering adding an extended fraud alert or credit freeze to help prevent further misuse of your personal information.
| EXTENDED FRAUD ALERT | CREDIT FREEZE |
| Lets you have access to your credit report as long as companies take steps to verify your identity. | Stops all access to your credit report unless you lift or remove it. |
| Free to place and remove if someone stole your identity. Guaranteed by federal law. | Cost and availability depend on your state law. There might be a small fee for placing, lifting and removing. |
| Lasts for 7 years | Lasts until you lift or remove |
| Set it by contacting each of the 3 credit bureaus: 1. Report that someone stole your identity. Request an extended fraud alert. 2. Complete any necessary forms and send a copy of your Identity Theft Report. |
Set it by contacting each of the 3 credit bureaus: 1. Report that someone stole your identity. 2. Ask the company to put a freeze on your credit file. 3. Pay the fee required by state law. |
| For fraud alerts: • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 • Experian: 1-888-397-3742 • Equifax: 1-888-766-0008 |
For credit freezes: • TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872 • Experian: 1-888-397-3742 • Equifax: 1-800-349-9960 |
Be sure to write down who you contacted and when, and keep all paperwork associated with the damage repair. Recovering from identity theft is easier with a plan. You can protect yourself further by purchasing a personal identity theft policy. The coverage will alleviate some of the financial burden if you discover you are the next victim of identity theft.
To learn more about identity theft coverage, contact your local independent insurance agent today.
Source: Federal Trade Commission
– See more at: http://www.neacelukens.com/blog
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