How to Recover from Identity Theft Without Reporting It
Accept responsibility for any debt that the thief has incurred in your name., Immediately put a fraud alert on your credit report., Request credit reports from all three bureaus., Report your card as lost for any account which the thief has used or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Accept responsibility for any debt that the thief has incurred in your name.
Unless you are willing to file an identity theft report which could launch an investigation leading to the person who stole your identity, you will have to take responsibility for paying the debt which this person created.
Someone has to pay the credit card companies, and if you make an official claim that it was not you who made the charges, they will search for the person who did.
Do not make a claim of identity theft and pretend to be clueless about who did it.
Not only is there still a chance that the thief will be found, but you may also be in legal trouble for withholding information and/or lying on affidavits. -
Step 2: Immediately put a fraud alert on your credit report.
This will make it harder (not impossible) for the thief to open any new accounts in you name, but it will not prevent them from using accounts they already have access to.
Placing a fraud alert is free and (without an official identity theft report) lasts for 90 days.
You can request a fraud alert from just one credit bureau and it will automatically contact the other two so they can update their credit reports.
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN , After placing a fraud alert, you are entitled to one free credit report from each bureau.
Specifically ask for them to show only the last four digits of your social security number on the reports. , Reporting the card as lost will mean you get a new account number and new card so that the thief cannot use the old account number anymore.
Make sure the thief does not have access to your mailbox when the new cards come in.
If you are not sure you can secure your mailbox from the thief, get a P.O.
Box and have all correspondence sent there.
Do not report the card(s) as stolen, because this will trigger investigation.
If you want to preserve your credit rating, avoid closing accounts, as this can have a negative effect on your credit score. , If you have any suspicion that the thief can access your accounts electronically (which, if they have your social security number, they can) log into all of them.
Change your usernames, passwords, and security questions.
Create a new e-mail address that the thief does not know about and make that the only e-mail address on all your accounts.
Avoid the temptation to write this info down; if the thief finds your new login info, you could be back to square one. , This will make it impossible for anyone who you do not already have an account with to apply for credit.
It will also prevent you from doing anything which requires a credit check, such as buying a car or applying for a new apartment, unless you call each bureau and lift the freeze.
In most states, you will have to pay each bureau to place a credit freeze, unless you provide documentation that you are a victim of identity theft (which you will not, because as discussed earlier you don't want an investigation launched).
This is the most reliable way to prevent the thief from using credit in your name.
If you decide against a credit freeze, consider placing fraud alerts every 90 days or purchasing some kind of credit monitoring so you can be immediately alerted of any new credit activity in your name. -
Step 3: Request credit reports from all three bureaus.
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Step 4: Report your card as lost for any account which the thief has used or created.
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Step 5: Secure all of your accounts online.
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Step 6: Consider putting a freeze on your credit.
Detailed Guide
Unless you are willing to file an identity theft report which could launch an investigation leading to the person who stole your identity, you will have to take responsibility for paying the debt which this person created.
Someone has to pay the credit card companies, and if you make an official claim that it was not you who made the charges, they will search for the person who did.
Do not make a claim of identity theft and pretend to be clueless about who did it.
Not only is there still a chance that the thief will be found, but you may also be in legal trouble for withholding information and/or lying on affidavits.
This will make it harder (not impossible) for the thief to open any new accounts in you name, but it will not prevent them from using accounts they already have access to.
Placing a fraud alert is free and (without an official identity theft report) lasts for 90 days.
You can request a fraud alert from just one credit bureau and it will automatically contact the other two so they can update their credit reports.
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN , After placing a fraud alert, you are entitled to one free credit report from each bureau.
Specifically ask for them to show only the last four digits of your social security number on the reports. , Reporting the card as lost will mean you get a new account number and new card so that the thief cannot use the old account number anymore.
Make sure the thief does not have access to your mailbox when the new cards come in.
If you are not sure you can secure your mailbox from the thief, get a P.O.
Box and have all correspondence sent there.
Do not report the card(s) as stolen, because this will trigger investigation.
If you want to preserve your credit rating, avoid closing accounts, as this can have a negative effect on your credit score. , If you have any suspicion that the thief can access your accounts electronically (which, if they have your social security number, they can) log into all of them.
Change your usernames, passwords, and security questions.
Create a new e-mail address that the thief does not know about and make that the only e-mail address on all your accounts.
Avoid the temptation to write this info down; if the thief finds your new login info, you could be back to square one. , This will make it impossible for anyone who you do not already have an account with to apply for credit.
It will also prevent you from doing anything which requires a credit check, such as buying a car or applying for a new apartment, unless you call each bureau and lift the freeze.
In most states, you will have to pay each bureau to place a credit freeze, unless you provide documentation that you are a victim of identity theft (which you will not, because as discussed earlier you don't want an investigation launched).
This is the most reliable way to prevent the thief from using credit in your name.
If you decide against a credit freeze, consider placing fraud alerts every 90 days or purchasing some kind of credit monitoring so you can be immediately alerted of any new credit activity in your name.
About the Author
Olivia Russell
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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