Once you know that you have been a victim of identity theft, it is extremely important that you take the following actions immediately, but not necessarily in the order given. A speedy response is critical to establishing your intent to repair the damage. Be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort to repair the damage done by the identity thief.

There are a number of events that alert you to possible identity theft. You may experience some or all of the following:

The primary responsibility for protecting your identity lies with YOU. Identity theft protection services or subscriptions are generally not worth the expense. You can usually protect yourself just as well. You may not be able to completely prevent your identity being stolen, but there is much you can do to minimize it. Here are some links to detailed information on this page:

Three keys to stealing your identity are your:

• Full name
• Social Security number
• Date of birth

If financial institutions fail to check, an identity thief can get by with even less identifying information. A thief can impersonate you in one or both of the following ways:

Definition

Identity theft is the unauthorized use of your personal identifying information by anyone who intends to impersonate you or to conduct any activities in your name. The thief may impersonate you online, by mail, over the telephone, or in person.

• Introduction to identity theft
• How a thief steals your identity
• Minimizing the possibility of identity theft
• Detecting identity theft
• If it happens to you
• More identity theft resour