There are three basic actions you should take immediately upon discovering you are a victim of Identity Theft.

First, contact the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). Tell them that you are an identity theft victim and request that a 'fraud alert' be placed in your file, as well as a victim's statement asking that creditors call you at the number you provide before opening any new accounts, or changing your existing accounts. The alert is only good for 90 days. You must request in writing that it be extended to seven years. At the same time, order copies of your credit reports from each of the three bureaus. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if you report fraud on your account. The names and phone numbers for each of the three major credit bureaus are listed below.

Second, contact the creditors for all accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Creditors can include credit card companies, phone companies and other utilities, banks, credit unions and other lenders. Ask to speak to someone in the security or fraud department of each creditor, and follow up with a letter. Immediately close accounts that have been tampered with and open new ones with new Personal Identification Numbers (PINS) and passwords.

Third, file a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Get the incident number for your report from the police department because all creditors will require this if you report fraud on your account.

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