Identity Theft - Debit/Credit Cards

What to do if your identity is stolen:

1. Report it immediately by telephone and in writing to the card issuer.

2. Complete the ID Theft Affidavit (See Attachment 1) and provide a copy to all card issuers that the imposter has fraudulently used.

3. Ask these creditors to furnish to you copies of all transaction records. The business must provide copies of these records within 30 days at no charge to the victim.

4. Order replacement cards with new numbers. If a PIN # is attached to the card, do not use the same PIN # that was previously used on your compromised card. Never leave your PIN # with your card.

5. Carefully monitor your mail and bills for evidence of any new fraudulent activity and report it immediately to the card issuer(s).

6. If debt collectors attempt to require you to pay the unpaid bulls on fraudulent accounts, ask for the name of the collection company, the name of the person contacting you, phone number, and address. Tell them that you are a victim of identity theft and are not responsible for the account or fraudulent transaction(s). Ask the collector for the name and contact information for the referring credit or debit card issuer, the amount of the debt, account number, and dates of the charges or debits. Ask if they need you to complete their fraud affidavit form or if you can use the Federal Trade Commission Affidavit (descried in step 2). Follow up in writing to the debt collector explaining your situation and ask that they confirm in writing that you do not owe the debt and the account has been closed.

7. File a report with the local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Keep a copy of the police report, request the report number and keep it in your personal files. You may need this report to validate your claims to creditors.

8. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC:

  • www.consumer.gov/idtheft or
  • Call FTC's Identity Theft Hotline: 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) or
  • Write to: Identity Theft Clearing House, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20580

9. If you believe that your identity has been stolen, contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. To report fraud:

  • Equifax – Phone:1-800-525-6285 Write to: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
  • Experian – Phone: 1-800-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) Write to: P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
  • TransUnion – Phone: 1-800-680-7289 Write to: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

10. Request a copy of your credit report and review it closely.