People who suspect they are victims of identity theft should contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on their credit accounts.
The three major bureaus are:
- www.Equifax.com/CreditReportAssistance; 888-766-0008.
- www.Experian.com/fraudalert; 888-397-3742.
- www.TransUnion.com/fraud; 800-680-7289.
Notifying the bureaus and placing alerts on accounts makes it more difficult for nefarious individuals to open financial accounts in an individual’s name. The fraud alert is free and lasts for 90 days at a time. Consumers can also request a credit freeze which restricts access to credit reports making it much more difficult for thieves to open new accounts. Consumers can also get a free credit report to review existing accounts. This service is available from www.annualcreditreport.com or at 877-322-8228.
The IRS has issued a publication with security tips, called Security Awareness for Taxpayers. which is available here.
