Had your identity stolen? You have rights!

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You have recently applied for a credit card, but your applications comes back “denied” due to slow or no pays. Unfortunately, you know you have been scrupulous about making your payments, so there should be no trouble getting the credit you ask for. When you ask for an explanation, the credit agency reports numerous late or no pays on purchases made around the world. This would be wonderful except that you’ve never made such purchases or been to any of the places where they are supposed to have been made. How dare your credit card leave town without you.

If you are like so many other people in this situation, chances are very good that your identity has been stolen. And not only is this situation irritating and frustrating to deal with, it can also wreak havoc with your finances, credit, and reputation. And not only that but it can take considerable time, effort, and money to resolve.

The first thing to realize after an identity theft has happened is to remember that it is not your fault. You are the victim of illegal activity. You can overcome what has happened to you. This article will serve as a primer to do that.

First, create an initial fraud report. This is done by notifying the three main credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, that you suspect that your identity has been stolen. A representative of the company will explain your rights to you and place a fraud alert on your report, which will stay active for 90 days. This also entitles you to a free credit report, which you can check for any irregularities.

Next, contact your state’s Attorney General’s office to find out what help they can provide. They can also assist you by implementing a credit freeze, which makes it difficult for thieves to cause further damage.

Now it is time to notify the police. The police can create an identity theft report, which, along with the police report and identity theft affidavit, will give you a strong tool when dealing with the credit reporting agencies, debt collectors, and businesses who set up accounts in your name.

If at this point you are still having a problem, contact the Attorney General’s office again and ask for an extended fraud alert, which this time has a life of seven years.

If you continue to see charges made against any of your accounts, be sure to dispute these with the credit reporting agencies. It is imperative that you report these charges as soon as you are aware of them because if you report unauthorized charges before they are made, you will suffer no loss. Within two days after you learn about a loss or theft, your maximum loss is $ 50.

It is also important to contact your bank of any misuse of your bank card, credit card, or checks, since these can all be closed and replaced as soon as the theft or fraud is reported.

The most important thing to remember when you are the victim of identity theft is that it is up to you to be vigilant of the charges made against your accounts. The sooner you notify the proper authorities and companies of an irregularity in your accounts, the more they can do to help you and prosecute those responsible for the theft.

Byline: Franklin Anderson knows that getting your cellphone stolen can wreck just as much havoc on your personal security as can getting your credit card stolen. This is why he uses Protect Your Bubble cell phone insurance now with all his phones.