HOW TO USE THIS SITE
Identity theft can be a tricky crime for its victims. It can be hard to detect, understand, and resolve. It’s a multi-faceted crime that can happen in many unexpected ways.
By equipping yourself with enough knowledge and know-how, you can give yourself a fighting chance against fraud. This workbook is here to help. We suggest you print it out and put it in a binder. Then it will be ready if you ever need it.
Read through the information in this booklet thoroughly to educate yourself about how identity theft happens, and what you can do to protect yourself.
You can use the personalized survival checklist to know which steps you need to take to recover your identity. Take action as soon as possible to minimize the damage of identity theft.
You can use the log sheets to keep track of important details. It’s important to record every action you take, conversation you have, and dollar you spend resolving the fraud (recovery costs can be useful if your case ends up in court). Print out as many log sheets as you need; you should use at least one contact log for each creditor, bank, bureau, and agency that you contact.
Refer to the resource section for important addresses and phone numbers of agencies that you should contact if you believe you have been a victim of identity theft. Putting this workbook in a binder will give you a convenient place for the documents relevant to an actual identity theft situation.
This could include credit card statements containing fraudulent charges, copies of your credit reports showing unauthorized accounts, letters from agencies trying to collect on debts you did not incur, and copies of police reports and other important documents you collect.
Even after you’ve jumped through hoops to clear your good name, you may still experience problems possibly months or years down the road. Keeping your binder will provide a one-stop source for relevant information pertaining to your case. By staying organized, taking good notes, and keeping important documentation in one spot, you can win the fight against this complicated and widespread crime.