Identity theft involves the misuse of personal information, including social security numbers, credit card numbers, and financial information. According to the US Department of Justice, almost 18 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2014.

As with any crime, identity theft can take a toll on our emotional wellbeing. Its potential impact on our finances, our credit scores, and even college and job opportunities can leave us feeling stressed and vulnerable. 

Having a plan can help. Here are some steps to consider if you have been the victim of an identity theft. 

Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports.

Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name. Contact the toll-free fraud number of any of the three consumer reporting companies below to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. If you do not receive a confirmation from a company, you should contact that company directly to place a fraud alert.

 
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form; call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write to Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Be sure to call the hotline to update your complaint if you have any additional information or problems.

 By sharing your identity theft complaint with the FTC, you will provide important information that can help law enforcement officials across the nation track down identity thieves and stop them. The FTC can refer victims’ complaints to other government agencies and companies for further action, as well as investigate companies for violations of laws the agency enforces. 

 Additionally, you can provide a printed copy of your online complaint form to the police to incorporate into their police report. The printed FTC ID Theft Complaint, in conjunction with the police report, can constitute an Identity Theft Report and entitle you to certain protections. This Identity Theft Report can be used to:

 
File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

Call your local police department and tell them that you want to file a report about your identity theft. Ask them if you can file the report in person. If you cannot, ask if you can file a report over the Internet or telephone. See below for information about automated reports.

If the police are reluctant to take your report, ask to file a “Miscellaneous Incident” report, or try another jurisdiction, like your state police. You also can check with your state Attorney General’s office to find out if state law requires the police to take reports for identity theft. Check www.naag.org for a list of state Attorneys General.

When you go to your local police department to file your report, bring a printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form, your cover letter, and your supporting documentation. The cover letter explains why a police report and an ID Theft Complaint are so important to victims.

Ask the officer to attach or incorporate the ID Theft Complaint into their police report. Tell them that you need a copy of the Identity Theft Report (the police report with your ID Theft Complaint attached or incorporated) to dispute the fraudulent accounts and debts created by the identity thief. In some jurisdictions the officer will not be able to give you a copy of the official police report, but should be able to sign your complaint and write the police report number in the “Law Enforcement Report” section.

 Notify the IRS if you have had your Social Security Number stolen or think you are a victim of a tax-related identity theft:

 
Notify all banks, mortgage companies, lenders, credit card companies, auto and home insurers, life insurance companies and health insurance companies, brokerage and advisory firms, and trust companies with which you hold accounts and/or do business. 

Notify them by phone first, then follow up by email, a mailed letter and a letter sent by certified mail. Ask each of these entities if they advise changing your account numbers, online IDs and passwords.

With entities such as banks or brokerage houses that you contact, request to be notified immediately if anyone other than you tries to initiate account activity, such as a bank withdrawal.
 
Notify the accountants, attorneys, and other professionals with whom you do business. 

 
Notify relevant municipal (including real estate and property tax officials), state and federal government entities, tax authorities and the state treasurer or other official who handles unclaimed property.

 
Notify the bureau that issues and renews your driving license and request to change your license number.

 
Also Notify:

 
Consider subscribing to an identity protection service. 
These services, which you can subscribe to for a monthly fee, claim to monitor your credit activity, alert you to any suspicious activity and help with credit restoration. Here are some examples of Identity Protection Services:

 
Report phishing emails.

Forward phishing emails to spam@uce.gov as well as to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the email. Your report is most effective when you include the full email header, but most email programs hide this information. To find out how to include it, type the name of your email service with “full email header” into your favorite search engine. 
 

You also can report phishing emails to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. The Anti-Phishing Working Group — which includes ISPs, security vendors, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies — uses these reports to fight phishing.
 
Additional Consumer Information and Consumer Protection Websites:

The following websites also offer services in the event your identity has been stolen: