If you have established yourself as a victim of credit fraud, you can ask the credit reporting bureau to add a "victim statement" to your credit report. This asks lenders to call you to verify all new credit applications. You must give a daytime phone number in your victim statement and keep it updated if you move or change your number. The

Very likely, your employer and financial institution will need your SSN for wage and tax reporting purposes. Other private businesses may ask you for your SSN to do a credit check, such as when you apply for a car loan. Sometimes, however, they simply want your SSN for general record keeping. If someone asks for your SSN, ask the following

Most states have passed laws related to identity theft. Where specific identity theft laws do not exist, the practices may be prohibited under other laws. See your State Laws or contact your State Attorney General's office or local consumer protection agency to find out whether your state has laws related to identity theft.

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These scams often target consumers with credit problems or consumers who have difficulty getting credit. In exchange for an up-front fee, these companies guarantee that applicants will get the credit they want—usually a credit card or a personal loan.

The up-front fee may range from $100 to several hundred dollars. Resist the

Pretexting is the practice of getting your personal information under false pretenses. Pretexters sell your information to people who may use it to get credit in your name, steal your assets, or to investigate or sue you. Pretexting is against the law.

Pretexters use a variety of tactics to get your personal information. For example, a

Once identity thieves have your personal information, they may:

Identity thieves may use a variety of low- and high-tech methods to gain access to your personally identifying information. For example:

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to gain access to your personal information. For example:

They get information from businesses or other institutions by:
stealing records from their employer,
bribing an employee who has access to these records, or
hacking into the organization's computers.
They rummage through your trash,

You see the ads in newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet. You hear them on the radio. You get fliers in the mail. You may even get calls from telemarketers offering credit repair services. They all make the same claims:

"Credit problems? No problem!"

"We can erase your bad credit—100% guaranteed."

"Create a new credit

It's difficult to predict how long the effects of identity theft may linger. That's because it depends on many factors including the type of theft, whether the thief sold or passed your information on to other thieves, whether the thief is caught, and problems related to correcting your credit report.

Victims of identity theft should monitor

Credit fraud is a crime that comes in many forms—but the bottom line is that someone is using your credit accounts or your good name without your authorization. (Victims of credit fraud are not liable for unauthorized charges, but the hassle of unraveling it can be frustrating and time consuming.) Crooks can steal credit cards from mail

Stay informed to minimize your risk.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the number of identity theft incidents reached 9.9 million in 2003. These crimes are estimated to have taken the average victim $500 and 30 hours to resolve.

From stolen credit cards to total identity

Fraud alerts let creditors know that fraud has been associated with your credit report. As a result, creditors may confirm that they're dealing with you and not an imposter before granting credit or other services.

Victim statements tell creditors to contact you before granting credit or other services. Victim statements may cause delays in

Identity theft involves someone else using your personal information to create fraudulent accounts, charge items to another person's existing accounts, or even get a job. You can minimize the risks by managing your personal information wisely and cautiously. Here are some ways to protect yourself from identity theft:

Before you reveal any

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, address, Social Security number (SSN), bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes.

The FDIC has created this webpage to inform and warn consumers about a type of fraud called “phishing.” The term "phishing" – as in fishing for confidential information - refers to a scam that encompasses fraudulently obtaining and using an individual's personal or financial information. This is how it works:

Credit repair and other companies often claim they "guarantee" to get you a credit card, regardless of your credit history. In fact, these companies do not always honor their guarantees. Sometimes, they'll just take your money and run—you will not get any credit, regardless of what they promised.

If they get you a card at all it often

If you notice unauthorized charges on your credit accounts, contact the lenders as soon as you can. Notify them that your accounts are being used by someone else. To check if your credit has been damaged, contact each of the three largest credit bureaus and get copies of your credit reports. They should be free if you are a fraud victim. If

Visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft to file a complaint instantly, obtain a copy of the ID Theft Affidavit and get answers to frequently asked questions about identity theft. If you don't have access to the Internet, call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free, at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). Your complaint will be entered into a secure consumer

Even if you've been very careful about keeping your personal information to yourself, an identity thief can strike. If you suspect that your personal information has been used to commit fraud or theft, take the following four steps right away. Remember to follow up all calls in writing; send your letter by certified mail, return receipt

The best way to stay alert for fraudulent activity involving your identity or credit history is to review your credit report at least once a year. You should regularly obtain credit reports from all of the three largest credit reporting agencies (see page 20). Check the accounts, inquiries and addresses that appear on your report. If you do

Violations of the The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act are investigated by federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General. Federal identity theft cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Department of

Whenever you have any additional information or problems, contact us, and we'll update your complaint. If you filed a complaint online, you will need to call our hotline (1-877-IDTHEFT) to give us the update.

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