Credit issuers do not always pay attention to fraud alerts, even though the law now requires it. That is why we recommend that you check your credit reports again in a few months. The federal FACTA law enables you to receive a free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus. (FCRA §612) This is over and above the free reports you can order when you place free credit report free Utah fraud alerts on your three credit reports. Once you have received your free credit reports as a part of the fraud-alert process, follow up in a few months by taking advantage of your free FACTA copy.
We recommend that you order your free credit reports by phone rather than using the online system. For more on free credit reports, see http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/freereports/index.shtml and www.annualcreditreport.com. Laws in several states give individuals additional opportunities to free credit report free Utah obtain free credit reports. For confirmed identity theft victims who live in California, you can get one free report each month for free credit report free Utah the first 12 months upon request. (California Civil Code 1785.15.3) And in seven states, whether a victim or not, you can receive one free credit report each year under state law, over and above the free FACTA report you can receive yearly under federal law. credit check reports These states are: Colorado, Georgia (2 per free credit report free Utah year), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont. Security freeze. As of November 2007, individuals nationwide are able to "freeze" their credit reports with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
By free credit report free Utah freezing your credit reports, you can prevent credit issuers from accessing your credit files except when you give permission.
This effectively prevents thieves from opening up new credit card and loan accounts. In most states, security freezes are available at no charge to identity theft victims and for a relatively small fee for non-victims.
If your identity thief is aggressive and gives no indication of ceasing to use your identity to obtain credit, consider using the security freeze to reduce access to your credit file. free credit report card The security freeze is free credit report free Utah free to victims of identity theft in most states. Non-victims who wish free credit report free Utah to activate the security freeze for prevention must pay a fee in most states. Some states make the security freeze available only to identity theft victims.
Law enforcement. Report the crime to your local police or sheriff's department right away. You might also need to report it to police department(s) where the crime occurred if it's somewhere other than where you live. Make sure the police report lists the fraudulent accounts . Get a copy of the report, which is called an "identity theft report" under the FCRA. Keep the phone number of your investigator handy and give it to creditors and others who require verification of your case.
Credit card companies and banks may require you to show the report in order to verify the crime. FTC regulations define an "identity theft report" to include a report made to a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency. If your local police free credit report free Utah department refuses to file a report and your situation involves fraudulent use of the U.S. mail, you can obtain an identity theft report from the U.S. your access to free credit reports If your case involves fraudulent use of a free credit report free Utah driver's license in your name, you might be able to obtain free credit report free Utah a report from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles. The FTC has more information on identity theft reports at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html 3. Federal Trade Commission. Report the crime to the FTC.
