Fraud Victim Checklist

What to Do If You're a Victim of Fraud

Once you realize that you are a victim of a fraud, start by contacting necessary government, banking and credit agencies to ensure they're aware of the crime and to put a stop to any ongoing theft.

Review the following tips and procedures to help resolve any issues with your creditors, remove inaccurate information from your credit report and prevent any further fraud.

Protect your credit report immediately

• Add a Fraud Alert Add a Fraud Alert to your credit report to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft – online, right now.
• Consider placing a Security Freeze on your TransUnion Credit Report.
• Placing a security freeze on your credit report will prevent lenders and others from accessing your TransUnion Credit Report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit. You can do this online, right now.

Obtain and review a copy of your credit report

• Request your TransUnion Credit Report and check for any unauthorized activity. Should any suspicious activity show up on your report, contact the creditors and question the account and/or inquiry. Also, consider signing up for ongoing credit monitoring, as well as any features that allow you to lock your report long-term.
• If you have questions, contact us and/or the other major credit reporting companies, Equifax and Experian.

Report fraud to the authorities

• Contact government agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to report the fraudulent activity. You should also contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report. Download the FTC's Universal Fraud Affidavit.
• Contact your credit grantors and financial institutions.
• Contact companies with whom you have financial relationships and inform them that your accounts may be compromised. Banks and credit 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, if needed. 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 companies with a copy of your police report, notarized FTC Affidavit and other relevant documentation. Keep a log of all related phone conversations, including the names of people with whom you speak.

Follow-up is key

Follow up with the companies and agencies you have contacted to ensure that their investigations resulted in your favor. TransUnion’s FVAD will help you, but remember that - as a victim, you are ultimately responsible for working with credit grantors to remediate fraudulent accounts.

You can also use our Fraud Companion Guide to track your notes and progress as you put a fraud recovery plan into action.

Periodically review your credit report. Check for any new fraudulent activity. Consider using features such as TransUnion Credit Lock, ongoing protection.

Consider signing up for ongoing credit monitoring.

Important note

TransUnion is here to assist verified 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 businesses. We will take swift action to expose such activity and involve law enforcement in these matters as necessary.