Identity theft, as we know, is on the rise. It is through measures like reporting it that we can fight this growing threat. this is how you can help. It has prevailed (identity theft) thanks to the efforts of governments and individuals alike. The internet has only made it easy for hackers to gain access to all your personal information under one roof: your email ID. The US government has called for seven preventative methods to curb this growing threat. If you don’t avoid it altogether, you’ll at least avoid further misuse of your identity if you follow these seven steps.
1. Contact the government fraud department when you have a fraud alert. The fraud alert is, of course, a personalized piece of information that you use when you work with an office that handles it. As long as the department finds a double identity, it will inform you immediately. This is a great way to curb the threat of identity theft, and if you’re lucky, you may even catch the culprit.
2. If you have reason to believe your identity has been stolen, immediately contact the nearest police station or sheriff’s office. If you wait too long to do this, you’re ruining your chances of catching the culprit, and could lead to more losses if it’s something like your credit card.
3. When you talk to law enforcement personnel, or narrate the incident for them to make a report, be as objective as possible. Don’t leave out any details, but don’t go off track either. This will be the report the bureau uses to launch an investigation, so it had better be a good one!
4. Contact your bank to cancel all credit cards and issue new ones, and they may need the police report for this. So be sure to bring a copy of the report with you when you meet with bank officials. The bank will decide what steps need to be taken to provide you with the service in the future. In most cases they will immediately suspend the account. After this, you may be issued a completely new account number and new cards as well. You’ll probably be charged a fee for this, but that’s the least of your problems!
5. If money has been withdrawn from your account before you realize there has been a theft, notify your bank immediately. This information could give them a chance to track down the location where it retreated and get everyone closer to catching the bad guy.
6. Report this theft to the check verification agency. They could stop payments on checks.
7. In any case, it is better to notify the social security office and obtain a completely new security number.
Following these seven steps will get you out of trouble.