Council on Aging - Answers 2024-25 - 80

COUNCIL ON AGING - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Identity Theft
Recovery
Know your rights when recovering from
identity theft. If someone used your information
to open new accounts or make purchases, report it
and get help.
If someone steals your identity, you have
the right to create an FTC (Federal Trade
Commission) Identity Theft Report. Your FTC
Identity Theft Report helps prove to businesses
that someone stole your identity and makes it
easier to correct problems caused by identity theft.
You can create an FTC Identity Theft Report by
filing a report with the FTC.
You also have the right to:
n Place a one-year fraud alert on your credit
report. The fraud alert tells creditors that they
must take reasonable steps to verify who is
applying for credit in your name. To place this
alert, contact one of the three national credit
bureaus. Experian at www.experian.com, Equifax
at www.equifax.com and TransUnion at
www.transunion.com. The one you contact must
notify the others. When you place a one-year
fraud alert, you're also entitled to a free copy of
your credit reports. You'll get a confirmation letter
from each credit bureau with instructions for how
to get your free reports.
n Place a seven-year extended fraud alert on
your credit report. To do this, send a copy of your
FTC Identity Theft Report to each credit bureau.
The extended fraud alert means potential creditors
must contact you before they issue credit in your
name. In your letter, be sure to give the best way
for a creditor to reach you. Each credit bureau will
send you a letter confirming that they placed an
extended fraud alert on your file. That letter also
will include instructions about how to get free
copies of your credit report.
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Answers Guide 24/25
n Get credit bureaus to remove fraudulent
information from your credit report. This is
called blocking. You must send them a copy of
your FTC Identity Theft Report, proof of your
identity, and a letter stating which information is
fraudulent. Then the credit bureau must tell the
relevant creditor that someone stole your identity.
Creditors cannot turn fraudulent debts over to
debt collectors.
n Dispute fraudulent or inaccurate information
on your credit report. Do this by writing to the
credit bureau. They must investigate your dispute
and amend your report if you are right.
n You have the right to place a free credit freeze
on your credit report anytime. A credit freeze,
also called a security freeze, makes it less likely
that an identity thief could open a new account in
your name.
To file an identity report theft report, learn
about communication with creditors/debt
collectors and your limits on financial loss visit
www.identitytheft.gov or call 1-833-372-8311.
Reprinted from the Federal Trade Commission,
Identify Theft.gov.
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FINANCE, LEGAL & FRAUD PREVENTION

http://www.experian.com http://www.equifax.com http://www.transunion.com http://www.identitytheft.gov http://www.Theft.gov

Council on Aging - Answers 2024-25

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