Elements of an Identity Theft Investigation
Victims of identity theft are oftentimes treated in a suspicious manner by both law enforcement and financial institutions. You will have to do much of your own legwork in initiating the investigation and collecting evidence.
Report the crime to law enforcement. Provide documentation, i.e. credit card or bank statements. Ensure that an Identity Theft Report is filed, that lists fraudulent account numbers, and obtain a copy.
Notify one of the major credit bureaus of the fraud and they will notify the other two. They are: Equifax www.equifax.com, Experian www.experian.com/fraud, and TransUniton www.transunion.com.
Request that your credit report be placed on Fraud Alert allowing your file to be flagged, telling creditors to contact you prior to extending credit. If any evidence of fraud appears, provide the documentation to law enforcement.
Report the crime to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). They don’t investigate identity theft, but they do provide information to investigative agencies nationwide.
Notify any affected credit card companies. They will want a fraud affidavit. Federal law gives you the right to receive any documentary evidence the company can provide you to further the investigation. Give any evidence you receive to law enforcement.
Notify any banks involved. The bank will want a fraud affidavit. Request that the bank report the fraud to ChexSystems, a consumer-reporting agency that gathers information on checking accounts. Get any evidentiary documentation the bank can provide and give it to law enforcement
If the US Mail was used in commission of the crime, notify your local Postmaster. Find out where the fraudulent credit cards and/or financial statements are being sent and provide this evidence to law enforcement.
Report your identity theft and ensuing crimes to the U.S. Secret Service because they have jurisdiction over financial fraud cases. They rarely investigate individual cases. It is important to report your case to them in case your identity theft was a part of a crime ring.
Report your identity theft to the SSA (Social Security Administration) if your social security number was used or stolen. The SSA doesn’t get involved unless there is employment fraud, welfare fraud, or fraudulent benefit claims.
Notify the U.S. Department of State, Passport Division, whether you have a passport or not. This will alert them to any fraudulent requests on your behalf. If a fraudulent passport has been issued, request evidence and provide this to law enforcement.
In cases involving a Driver’s License, notify your local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles.)
If you are a victim of identity theft, keep accurate records of everything. File all documentation and provide it to law enforcement.
Tags: credit restoration, id theft protection, identity theft prevention, identity theft protection, prevent mail theft