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 to your credit report to warn potential credit lenders that you may be a victim of identity theft. You can do this online through the TransUnion Service Center.
• Consider placing a credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, on your TransUnion credit report. You can do this online through the TransUnion Service Center. A credit freeze prevents all third parties, such as credit lenders or other companies, whose use is not exempt under law, from accessing your credit file without your consent.

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 ask about the unfamiliar items. 
• You can also get a free weekly credit report from all three credit reporting agencies at annualcreditreport.com.
• 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 lenders and financial institutions to let them know about the fraud.
• 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.
• You can also request TransUnion remove fraudulent information from your credit report by submitting a dispute. TransUnion can block fraudulent information from your credit report if you send us a valid identity theft report, proof of your identity and a letter that identifies the fraudulent information on your credit report.

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 Fraud Victim Assistance Department will help you, but remember that as a victim, you are ultimately responsible for working with credit grantors to remediate fraudulent accounts. You can call them at 800-680-7289.

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

Remember to periodically review your credit report. Check for any new fraudulent activity.                                                                 

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.