There are some general things you should do in any case of ID-theft. The specific steps you take will depend on what has happened, and whether you suspect you may be a victim or you know you have been a victim because you have discovered fraudulent activity.   With your membership in the Authentic-ID Program, you will be guided through a simple, step by step recovery plan.  In addition, you will be covered with a $25,000 insurance policy and eligible for a personal recovery assistant who will be your personal recovery guide.

If you only suspect you may be a victim or some event has happened that could lead to you becoming a victim - such as your wallet was stolen, or your personal data was compromised, there are steps you can take to protect yourself against other possible ID-theft incidents, such as placing a fraud alert on your credit files.

Since you know you are at a higher risk, be sure to follow the prevention advice offered on this website, but especially follow these steps to keep an eye out for fraudulent activity:

• Consider subscribing to a credit monitoring service to keep close watch on your credit profile.
• Get a copy of your credit report at least once a year on look for inaccurate information or fraudulent accounts.
• If you are not already receiving them, regularly request Earnings and Benefits Statements from the Social Security Administration.

Finally, educate yourself. This website and others listed on the main Resources page, as well as the Authentic-ID desktop software offer advice on how to avoid common scams, how to keep your computer safe, and lots of other information that will help you avoid becoming a victim of ID-theft.

If you know you've been a victim of ID-theft because you've discovered fraudulent activity, you need to act quickly.   With Authentic-ID, this process is automated and made simple.

The credit bureau you contact is required to report the incident to the other two credit bureaus, but we recommend calling all three to be sure. They will put an initial credit alert on your credit report which lasts 90 days and will send you a free copy of your credit report. Follow up by sending a completed Identity Theft Affidavit to the credit bureau. This will establish your ID-theft claim, and will allow you to place an extended (7-year) credit alert against additional incidents.

File a report with your local police or sheriff's department. Request a copy of the report or the case number. You may need this to show proof of the ID-theft for creditors.

No matter what the specifics of your incident, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commision. This helps them investigate fraud and can lead to law enforcement action. By filing a complaint you lessen the chance that someone else will become a victim. Fill one out online at https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03