Recovering From Identity Theft
When you check out the stories from people who recovered from identity theft, you will hear them use descriptive words like "burden," "suffering," "nightmarish" and many other similar terms. They will also tell you about the period of time it took to recover, ranging from two to six years.
Those are just the number of hours wasted trying to get back their identities. Factor in the amount of money (usually in the thousands of dollars) that they have to spend in the recovery process and you will surely agree that their descriptions are accurate enough.
Steps To Take To Recover Your Identity
- Consult the Identity Theft Resource Center. The Identity Theft Resource Center (www.idtheftcenter.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people deal with identity theft. They have countless resources with well-organized information openly available for anyone who needs them. You can start with a step by step guide of what you need to do if you get your identity stolen. Then you can find out about laws and resources for your particular state. They have contact information that will help you, as well as advice on how to handle the situation. It truly is the best place to go.
- Get in touch with the credit reporting agencies. The big three agencies are Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. Tell them to put on a fraud alert on your credit report
and make sure it reflects a case of identity theft. Many victims receive assurances that their cases would be resolved however months and sometimes years later, they still do not have a clear record from the credit bureaus.
- Make constant follow-ups with the credit bureaus. As mentioned above, months and years may pass and a victim still has a bad credit record with the bureaus. Therefore constant follow up is critical. There is an ongoing belief that the bureaus would not have completed the processing required on their end by the time the first two inquiries were made. Be diligent until the problem is resolved.
- Review your credit report every ninety days for the next year and know your rights as an identity theft victim. Federal law entitles you to a free annual credit report
Your rights also include access to not only what is in your file but also if that information is being used against you. You also have a right to get negative information due to fraud blocked from your records. - Get in touch with your bank, credit card companies and utility companies. Inform them that you are an identity theft victim. Have them change all your account numbers and get information regarding limit of liability.
As for the utility companies, many identity thieves commit fraud by opening telephone accounts, purchasing cable television or establishing credit with the gas & electric companies in hopes it will go unnoticed for as long as possible.
Reclaiming your identity can take years, will cost you a lot of money, not to mention cause much stress and pain not just for your but for your family. There are support groups that can help you out when you are not dealing with the paperwork. Just use your favorite search engine to seek them out. Victims just need to be strong, patient and persevere in order to put the nightmare to rest.
