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Identity fraud is a serious crime. How does it
happen?
1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three consumer reporting companies to place a fraud alert on your credit report. The fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. Once you place the fraud alert in your file, you're entitled to order free copies of your credit reports, and, if you ask, only the last four digits of your Social Security number will appear on your credit reports. 2. Close the accounts that you know or believe have been
tampered with or opened fraudulently. Click on the link to use the Federal
Trade Commission's ID Theft Affidavit (PDF, 56 KB) when
disputing new unauthorized accounts. 4. File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Hotline. Use the above link or telephone:1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint helps the FTC learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that they can better assist you. For more in-depth information on recovering from identity theft and help with specific problems, read the Federal Trade Commission's Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft. You may also contact the Office of Genesee County Sheriff Consumer Protection & Fraud Division by calling (810) 341-5923 or Emailing us at cps@co.genesee.mi.us.
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