Identity Theft Recovery: The Road Back
Not too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that one of his
coworkers recently recovered his stolen identity. I asked how
long the process took. "Only two years" he replied.
Compared to my business partner's six year nightmare "only"
maybe appropriate but like most victims of identity theft, he
probably thought "when". As in, "when will I get my life back?"
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer nonprofit organization,
reported that victims spend on average 175 hours trying to
recover their identity, often over a period of years. Factor in
out of pocket expenses, (usually over $1,500 according to the
FTC) and recovery gets painfully magnified.
What are the steps to identity restoration? It starts with
obtaining a police report. That report doesn't mean other law
enforcement agencies have been contacted. Yet you must do a
complete search of local and federal law enforcement databases
too find out if anything else, including criminal activity
exists on your identity.
You're also going to need the police report to contact the many
and I mean many different agencies and organizations, including
the Social Security Administration, The Federal Trade
Commission, all of your financial institutions, the 3 major
credit bureaus, the Passport Office,The Department of Motor
Vehicles, the Post Office, as well as the Medical Information
Bureau . All of these places must be sent a fraud notification
alert. Concerning your financial institutions, get them to
cancel your credit cards and close your bank accounts. Find out
from your bank about any suspicious activity, such as accounts
tampered with or opened fraudulently. Reopen new bank accounts
with password verification.
Know your rights. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act of
1992, you must be told not only what's in your file but if that
information is being used against you. The Federal Trade
Commission recently expanded the rights available to victims of
identity theft, including your right to get negative information
due to fraud blocked from your records.
This brings us to the credit bureaus. Make sure your credit
report reflects the identity theft and gets flagged with a fraud
alert. Many victims have received assurances that the matter
would be resolved, however months and sometimes years later, the
credit bureaus have not cleared their records. This without a
doubt ranks as THE biggest headache for identity theft victims.
Once a negative gets put on your record, it seems the credit
bureaus refuse to remove it, in spite of the countless
documentation you provide to them. This can affect you well into
the future when buying a house, car or any other big ticket
item. If you are going to do this by yourself, constant follow
up is critical. That goes for all the organizations but
especially the credit bureaus. Be diligent until the matter gets
resolved. Getting a lawyer wouldn't be a bad idea.
Stay Away from "credit repair companies". No matter what they
advertise, there's usually nothing they can do to help you with
identity theft. Some of them even offer to help you apply for
credit under a new identity. Hello? When trying to eliminate
fraud from your record you don't want to create more fraud!
Advise the utility companies. It's not just bank accounts and
credit cards. Many identity thieves commit fraud by opening
telephone accounts, purchasing cable television or establishing
credit with the gas & electric companies, in the hopes it will
go unnoticed for as long as possible.
If necessary get counseling. Identity theft can be a shattering
experience mentally and emotionally. Victims and family members
often feel violated. It's not their fault of course but the
feelings remain. A network of support groups and counselors
exists if you need it.
The road back from identity theft can take years, cost a lot of
money,and cause much stress and pain . But with follow up,
support and belief that the nightmare will end...the nightmare
WILL end.