Identity Theft: Protecting Privacy of Financial Data and Credit Information from Phishing | identity theft, protecting financial data, protecting credit information, protecting your identity, fraud alert, ID theft affidavit, reporting identity theft | CLIENTELEVISION - Video on Demand from LTVN

Protecting Your Identity

Felons are phishing for your finances. If they mess up yours, take the following steps as soon as possible, keeping records of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.

Place a fraud alert on your credit reports by contacting the credit bureaus immediately
Get a copy of your credit report and review them carefully for inaccuracies or inappropriate charges
Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Call and speak to someone in the security or fraud department of each company. Follow aup in writing, and include copies of supporting documents. It’s important to notify credit card companies and banks in writing. Send your letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the company received and when. Keep a file of your correspondence and enclosures.
File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place and get a copy of the police report, or at the very least, the number of the report to help you deal with creditors who need proof of the crime
If the identity thief has made charges or debits on your accounts, or on fraudulently opened accounts, ask the company for the forms to dispute those transactions
For charges and debits on existing accounts, ask the representative to send you the company’s fraud dispute forms. If the company doesn’t have special forms, write a letter to dispute the fraudulent charges or debits. In either case, write to the company at the address given for “billing inquiries,” NOT the address for sending your payments.
For new unauthorized accounts, ask if the company accepts the ID Theft Affidavit. If not, ask the representative to send you the company’s fraud dispute forms. If the company already has reported these accounts or debts on your credit report, dispute this fraudulent information. Once you have resolved your identity theft dispute with the company, ask for a letter stating that the company has closed the disputed accounts and has discharged the fraudulent debts. This letter is your best proof if errors relating to this account reappear on your credit report or you're contacted again about the fraudulent debt.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission which will help law enforcement officials across the nation track down identity thieves and investigate companies for similar violations

To help prevent future incidents, use PIN numbers that no one else could possibly know. Identity thieves know that many people use their mother's maiden name, their birth date or the last four digits of their social security numbers. In many cases, these were the keys that these con artists use to trade on your good name.