If you think someone is using your identity to commit crimes, we recommend that you act immediately by following our guidelines below, and then proceed to our Report, Recover and Reinforce sections for further assistance.
Some Immediate Action Steps to Take
- Visit IdentityTheft.gov from the Federal Trade Commission to file a report and create a personalized plan for recovery.
- If your driver’s license or personal ID is lost or stolen, immediately file a police report to prevent it from being used fraudulently.
- Report lost or stolen driver’s licenses to your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and ask them to place a flag on your license number.
- Ask your local law enforcement agency to take fingerprints and send them along with a photograph and any photo identification documents (driver’s license, passport, etc.) to the arresting law enforcement agency.
- **Please note, most law enforcement agencies will only accept this information in person, or by submission from another law enforcement agency, so work with your local law enforcement agency throughout this process.
- Once the law enforcement agencies have confirmed a case of criminal identity theft, work closely with the court to petition a name change on the arrest records.
Report
Reporting identity theft incidents to IdentityTheft.gov is very important! The more national reporting data that is collected, the better the chance law enforcement has to catch the criminals and decrease online crime. Although IdentityTheft.gov does not resolve individual complaints directly, they will make your report available to local, state and other law enforcement partners. Please read the IdentityTheft.gov privacy policy here. (If you believe that you’ve received a phishing email, please forward the email directly to spam@uce.gov and
reportphishing@apwg.org.)
Recover
These resources have been gathered, selected and vetted to help simplify the process of recovering after a cybercrime incident has taken place. You may need to contact organizations outside Fraudsupport.org. Results will vary depending on your circumstances.
- Talk with an ID Theft victim advocate, contact Identity Theft Resource Center: call 1-888-400-5530 or chat at ITRC
- Use this Identity Theft Victim Recovery Checklist
- Visit IdentityTheft.gov to find recovery steps
- Identity Theft Resource Center: Clearing Criminal Identity Theft
- Know Your Rights
- Find identity theft laws in your state with NITVAN.gov
- Consider your legal options, contact the National Crime Victim Bar Association: call 202-467-8716 or email victimbar@ncvc.org
Reinforce
Once you have notified the appropriate organizations and you are on the road to recovery, it is time to reinforce your cybersecurity using these resources and tools.
- Identity Theft Resource Center: Protection Tips
- Sign-up for FTC Scam Alerts
- AARP: 15 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft
- Improve Your Security: Find cybersecurity tools to enhance your online safety.
Implement Preventive Measures
- Keep your driver’s license and personal information secure at all times.
- Create strong passwords. Learn how from ConnectSafely.org.
- Always enable a two-step/factor verification – which requires an additional code to log in.
- Shred all documents that include your Social Security number or other personal information before discarding them.
- Download our Six Steps to Better Security PDF.