What to do if you become a victim of “Phishing”?

February 09, 2023

Know what steps to take if you are a victim of “phishing” or any other form of identity theft:

File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
Contact the fraud departments of any of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or changing information on existing accounts. The credit bureau is required to notify the other two bureaus after confirming your fraud alert. You will then receive a copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus. (See below for contact information for all three major credit bureaus.)
Contact your credit union or bank and notify all with whom you have a financial relationship.
Immediately close those accounts that you know or suspect have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigation. Further information regarding identity theft can be obtained from the FTC at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or 1-877-ID-THEFT.
Report the theft of your checks to check verification companies.
Check the post office for unauthorized change of address requests on your behalf.
Follow-up all telephone calls with letters and keep a copy of all correspondence.

Credit Reporting Bureaus

Social Security Administration

Federal Trade Commission

Reporting Fraudulent Check Use

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