Recovering from Fraud

There are key steps to restore your identity after fraud.

Once you realize that you are a fraud victim, you'll need to contact various government, banking and credit agencies to ensure they're aware of the crime and to put a stop to any ongoing theft.

To help you make the process as easy as possible, we've prepared the following tips and procedures that will help you resolve any problems with your creditors, remove inaccurate information from your credit report and prevent any further fraud:

Protect your credit report immediately

Add a fraud alert to your credit file to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft.
Consider placing a Security Freeze on your credit file. Depending on your state of residence, you may be eligible to prevent anyone (with some exceptions) from further accessing your credit report.

Obtain and review a copy of your credit report

Order your TransUnion Credit Report periodically and check for any unauthorized activity. Should any information not pertaining to you show up on your credit file, contact the creditors and question the account and/or inquiry. Also, consider signing up for ongoing monitoring of your credit file, as well as any features that allow you to lock your report long-term.
If you have questions, contact TransUnion and/or the other major credit reporting companies.

Report the fraud to the authorities

Contact government agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report the fraudulent activity. It is recommended that you also contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report regarding the fraudulent activity.
Contact your credit grantors and financial institutions.
Contact companies with whom you have relationships and inform them that your accounts may be compromised. Banks and card companies may issue new cards and PINs to protect your assets, and will work to identify and rectify any unauthorized charges.
Notify your bank to stop checks. You can also report stolen checks.
Contact any companies on your credit report that you do not recognize. Verify the information they have in their records for the reported item.
Provide the creditor with a copy of your police report, notarized FTC Affidavit or other relevant documentation.
Keep a log of all related phone conversations, including the names of people with whom you spoke.

Follow up is key

Follow up with companies and agencies that you have contacted to ensure that their investigation resulted in your favor. TransUnion FVAD will help you to the fullest extent possible, but remember that as a victim, you have certain responsibilities. By working with credit grantors to identify all fraudulent accounts, you can greatly reduce this crime's effects on you.
Periodically review your credit report. Check for any new fraudulent activity. Consider using features such as TrueCredit Lock for ongoing protection.

Important note

TransUnion is here to assist actual fraud victims. If you are not a victim, be advised that TransUnion has systems in place to detect fraudulent efforts by both individuals and unscrupulous credit repair organizations intended to delete accurate information from consumer credit reports. We will take swift action to expose such activity and involve law enforcement in these matters as necessary.