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Published: Sep 16, 2005 01:40 PM
Fri - May 16, 2003
Part V: Online Resources for Identity Theft Victims
If you're an identity theft
victim seeking more help, reading these other web pages would be a good next
step.
This article is informational in
nature and is not legal advice. If you need legal counsel, consult a licensed
attorney in your
jurisdiction.
Excellent resources are available elsewhere on the web to aid identity theft victims. The sites I found most useful in preparing my own identity theft case are listed here:
ID Theft Affidavit and Reporting
The Federal Trade Commission allows identity theft victims to report the crime online and to invoke FTC assistance in disputes with creditors and reporting agencies. In addition, the FTC site includes a downloadable ID Theft Affidavit that you can use to state your innocence of a fraud committed using your identity. A pamphlet called "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name" is also downloadable here.
Form Letters and Victim Rights Information
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse web site features numerous pamphlets and tutorials about identity theft, including tips on how to resolve identity theft disputes, form letters, and links to additional web resources.
Operated by a husband and wife team that was itself a victim of identity theft, the Identity Theft Resource Center is an outstanding clearinghouse for information about the crime. Its site includes victim guides, identity theft affidavits, tips about organizing an identity theft case, recommendations for new identity theft legislation, and statistics about the crime.
The California Department of Consumer Affairs, Office of Privacy Protection has authored several excellent publications on identity theft, including "P-3, Credit Identity Theft: Tips to Avoid and Resolve Problems" and "DC-4, Checklist for Identity Theft Victims Who are Contacted by a Debt Collector."
A special Identity Theft Database may be available to you from the state attorney general if you are a California resident and have been brought before a court because of crimes committed by a person who stole your identity, or if you have been mistakenly associated with a criminal conviction. To apply for admission to the database requires a court order certifying that you are a victim of identity theft. Identity theft victims who are in the database can provide third parties with an official number to call to verify that they are innocent of the crime.
Although I have not used the kit myself, attorney Mari Frank's ID Theft Survival Kit is recommended by several web sites. It includes tapes, form letters, and a book on identity theft for fraud victims.
Copies of your credit report
Contact the three credit reporting agencies—Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax—for copies of your credit report and consider signing up for at least one real-time credit monitoring service from a known, reputable vendor, such as the credit reporting agencies or American Express.
This is part five of a series. To continue reading the rest of the articles in this series, select:
Part I: It Happened To Me; It Can Happen To You
Part II: How Identity Theft Occurs
Part III: How to Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Part IV: What To Do When Your Identity Is Stolen
Part VI: Opting Out--How To Protect Your Privacy
Excellent resources are available elsewhere on the web to aid identity theft victims. The sites I found most useful in preparing my own identity theft case are listed here:
ID Theft Affidavit and Reporting
The Federal Trade Commission allows identity theft victims to report the crime online and to invoke FTC assistance in disputes with creditors and reporting agencies. In addition, the FTC site includes a downloadable ID Theft Affidavit that you can use to state your innocence of a fraud committed using your identity. A pamphlet called "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name" is also downloadable here.
Form Letters and Victim Rights Information
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse web site features numerous pamphlets and tutorials about identity theft, including tips on how to resolve identity theft disputes, form letters, and links to additional web resources.
Operated by a husband and wife team that was itself a victim of identity theft, the Identity Theft Resource Center is an outstanding clearinghouse for information about the crime. Its site includes victim guides, identity theft affidavits, tips about organizing an identity theft case, recommendations for new identity theft legislation, and statistics about the crime.
The California Department of Consumer Affairs, Office of Privacy Protection has authored several excellent publications on identity theft, including "P-3, Credit Identity Theft: Tips to Avoid and Resolve Problems" and "DC-4, Checklist for Identity Theft Victims Who are Contacted by a Debt Collector."
A special Identity Theft Database may be available to you from the state attorney general if you are a California resident and have been brought before a court because of crimes committed by a person who stole your identity, or if you have been mistakenly associated with a criminal conviction. To apply for admission to the database requires a court order certifying that you are a victim of identity theft. Identity theft victims who are in the database can provide third parties with an official number to call to verify that they are innocent of the crime.
Although I have not used the kit myself, attorney Mari Frank's ID Theft Survival Kit is recommended by several web sites. It includes tapes, form letters, and a book on identity theft for fraud victims.
Copies of your credit report
Contact the three credit reporting agencies—Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax—for copies of your credit report and consider signing up for at least one real-time credit monitoring service from a known, reputable vendor, such as the credit reporting agencies or American Express.
This is part five of a series. To continue reading the rest of the articles in this series, select:
Part I: It Happened To Me; It Can Happen To You
Part II: How Identity Theft Occurs
Part III: How to Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Part IV: What To Do When Your Identity Is Stolen
Part VI: Opting Out--How To Protect Your Privacy