What do I do if I become a victim?

Contact your local police department and file a report and obtain a case number. Most credit and financial institutions will require that you file a police report. Police departments in New Jersey are required to take a report when you reasonably believe or suspect you are a victim of identity theft notwithstanding the fact that jurisdiction for prosecution or investigation may lie elsewhere. (N.J.S.A. 2C:21-17.6)

Immediately call the fraud units of the three credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Report the theft of your credit cards or identity to them. Request that your account be flagged and have a Fraud Alert/Victim Impact statement placed in your credit file asking that creditors call before granting credit. Obtain the names and phone numbers of businesses where fraudulent accounts have been opened, if any. 

Creditors:

Contact your creditors and those businesses who provided credit in your name fraudulently by phone and in writing to inform them of the problem. Ask for replacement cards, close out old and fraudulent accounts, and obtain new account numbers and create new pin numbers if the account(s) have been used fraudulently.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

Contact the FTC and file a report either through the FTC website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or by telephone at 877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338). The Federal Trade Commission serves as a clearinghouse for complaints by the victims of identity theft. The FTC assists victims by providing information to help resolve financial and other problems that can result from identity theft.

Obtain an “Identity Crimes Affidavit” from the FTC website and complete. It will be useful when notifying police, merchants, financial institutions, and credit bureaus.

Click the image below to go to the FTC report.

Assisting Law Enforcement:

Set up a folder to keep a detailed history of the crime. Keep a log of all contacts and make copies of all documentation. Provide this information to the police and assist them in obtaining any additional information which may be required.

Gather all evidence and documentation of your financial loss and provide it to the police.

Obtain possible witness information — your salesperson, apartment managers, employers and any other person or institution who accepted the fraudulent application(s) or document(s). Provide this information to the police.

Complete the Federal Trade Commission’s “Identity Crimes Affidavit” and provide it to the police.

Stolen Checks:

If you have had checks stolen or accounts set up fraudulently and you believe checks have been created for the fraudulent account, report it to the financial institution and close the accounts. Create new accounts and place stop payments on the outstanding fraudulent checks. You should also report the stolen checks to the check verification companies.

ATM Cards:

If your ATM card is lost or stolen, contact the issuing financial institution, acquire a new card, account number and create a new PIN number.

Fraudulent Change of Address:

Notify the local US Postal Inspector if you suspect someone has fraudulently changed your address. Meet with your Postmaster to identify the new address and attempt to recover your fraudulently diverted mail. Contact information for US Postal Inspectors can be found at: www.usps.gov/postalinspectors.

Social Security Number:

If your social security number has been used fraudulently, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-269-0271 or through their website at www.ssa.gov/org.

Drivers License Fraud:

If you suspect your driver’s license or registration was lost, stolen or fraudulently used, contact the State of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission at 1-866-TIPS-MVC (1-866-847-7682).

Passport Fraud:

If your passport has been lost or stolen, immediately contact the U.S. State Department at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at //travel.state.gov/ passport/lost/lost_848.html.