Help! My Evil Twin Stole My Identity!

Evil twins make for great television, but terrible credit scores.   As many as 9 million Americans are victims of identity theft each year, and many more have their personal information compromised.  Identity thieves are frequently professional criminals who get your personal information from the trash, skimming credit card information (through portable card copiers), your personnel records at work, and online “phishing” attacks.  It’s important to keep an eye on your credit report both to protect against errors and to make sure no one is using your good name for their own benefit.  Below we discuss some steps you can take if your information has been compromised or your identity stolen.  For more in-depth coverage, we recommend the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft site where you can find templates for the letters we discuss below.

1. If you’re the victim of identity theft or simply had your personal information compromised, your first step is to close any fraudulent or compromised accounts by calling security or fraud departments at the accounts you are aware of. Most financial firms have 24-7 fraud alert lines.  Make sure you are being routed to the fraud department and not just a general customer service representative.
2. The next step is to place an initial, 90-day fraud alert on your credit file with each of the Credit Bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion).  Technically you are only supposed to have to file a fraud alert with one bureau and they alert the rest, but at a minimum you should check back after 48 hours with the other two bureaus to be sure they’ve instituted the alert.  Initial alerts can usually be filed online, and the links to the bureaus’ main sites are found at the bottom of this blog post. Each bureau will send you a confirmation letter that a fraud alert has been placed on your file.  This alert will make it more difficult for impersonators to open new accounts in your name (by prompting additional steps to verify your identity when your social security number is used to apply for credit).  You can also request a credit freeze, which effectively blocks access to your credit report to all potential creditors. Whether or not a credit freeze makes sense depends on one’s individual circumstances.  Therefore, we won’t discuss it further here.If you can prove that your information was stolen (i.e. you filed a police report), an extended fraud alert and credit freeze will often be free of charge.  If you cannot, you can still add an extended alert and credit freeze on your account (it usually costs around $10 for each of the three bureaus).
3. Once you’ve placed the fraud alert, request an up-to-date report from each bureau.  The fraud alert entitles you to a free report from each bureau separate from your annual freebie (see our previous, August blog post for more on free reports).   Review each report and make a list of all incorrect or suspicious entries.
4. The next step is to file an Identity Theft Report (ITR) by filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and making a police report (if you haven’t already done so).  You can file the FTC report online or by calling 1.877.ID.THEFT.  Then call the local police non-emergency number and file your identity theft complaint. Some jurisdictions allow you to make reports over the phone (D.C.) or online (Arlington County).  If you have to go to the police station, bring a printed copy of your FTC complaint, this cover letter (PDF)explaining the ITR, and your supporting documentation.  Ask the officer to attach or incorporate the ID Theft Complaint into their police report.You need a copy of the Identity Theft Report – and the police report with your ID Theft Complaint attached or incorporated – to dispute the fraudulent accounts and debts created by the identity thief.   If you can’t get an official copy of the report, ask the officer to sign your FTC complaint and put the report number into the “Law Enforcement Reports” section of the complaint.
5. Once you’ve completed the Identity Theft Report, you should send a follow-up letter – by certified mail – along with copies of the Identity Theft Report and any supporting documents (e.g. police report) to each of the Credit Bureaus.

Disputing Fraudulent Charges/Accounts

You can dispute fraudulent information by sending each Credit Bureau (CB) a copy of your ITR along with a cover letter explaining what information is fraudulent and that the information does not relate to any transaction you made or authorized.  You’ll also need to provide proof of identity, such as social security number, name, address and other information they request (they will have specific requirements listed).  The CB has four days to block the information from your account.

You should also dispute these items directly with the creditor.  For fraudulent charges on an existing account, ask the company’s fraud division to send you their fraud dispute forms and confirm the proper address for “billing inquiries” with the company (not where your payments are sent).  For a fraudulently opened account, send a copy of your identity theft report by certified mail along with a cover letter explaining that the account was opened fraudulently.  Request written confirmation that the company has closed the disputed account and discharged the debt.

Credit Bureau Contact Information

TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790Fullerton, CA 92834
1-800-680-7289

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-525-6285

Experian
P.O. Box 9554Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742