Report The Crime

File a report with your local police department and keep a copy for yourself. In some states you may need to report the crime in the jurisdiction where the fraud occurred.

File a Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission (877-ID-THEFT) investigates interstate and internet fraud. Fill out an ID theft affidavit from the FTC web site and follow the guidelines on the website to notify merchants, financial institutions and credit bureaus.

Close Accounts

Accounts that have been used by an identity thief need to be closed. Notify appropriate merchant, banks, creditors and utilities. Choose new PINs and Passwords for other existing accounts.

Ask for Help

The merchant, bank, creditor or utility where the theft occurred usually have standard procedures and customer service representatives to aid in identity theft circumstances.

Get an Attorney

For cases where a criminal committed a felony/misdemeanor crime (murder, rape, etc.) using your identity, it may be prudent to contact an attorney to evaluate the circumstance.

Work with Your Identity Protection Monitoring Service

The National Identity Protection Bureau provides assistance to subscribers of PProfile Check®.