5 Steps I Now Take To Protect My Money

WEB I Recovered Financially From Identity Theft

5 Steps I Now Take To Protect My Money

Mon Aug 12 2024 1200 PM 4 min.

WEB I Rebounded After Identity Theft 5 Steps I Took To Get My Life and Money Back

Heres how a victim of identity theft regained control of her life and got her money back.

When you know or suspect that someone has stolen your identity, its important to figure out what steps you can take to expedite the recovery process.

Here are five steps you can take to counter the effects of identity theft:

1. File a report with the FTC and your local police department
2. Contact the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus
3. Close any accounts that have been compromised
4. Monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity
5. Consider freezing your credit

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the government agency responsible for investigating identity theft. The FTC's website has a wealth of information on identity theft, including how to report it and what to do if you become a victim.

You should also contact the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of these bureaus once per year by visiting annualcreditreport.com. If you find any unauthorized accounts or activity on your credit reports, you should dispute them immediately.

Closing any accounts that have been compromised is an important step in protecting your finances. Contact the banks or credit unions where the accounts are held and ask them to close them. You should also change your passwords for these accounts and any other accounts that may have been compromised.

Monitoring your credit reports for suspicious activity is an ongoing process. You should check your credit reports regularly for any unauthorized accounts or activity. If you find anything suspicious, you should dispute it immediately.

Freezing your credit is a good way to prevent identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name. When your credit is frozen, potential creditors cannot access your credit report without your express permission. To freeze your credit, you need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus.