Debt Collectors Help with Identity Theft

How would know your identity has been compromised if you do not monitor your credit, or if you have had your identity stolen, how did you find out about it? From a collection agency.

They may be the first call you receive when someone has stolen your identity.

Here are four steps to take in the event that your identity is stolen:

1. File a police report
2. Add a fraud alert to your credit report. The alert lasts 90 days and can be renewed every 90 days for up to three years.
   1. TransUnion’s fraud victim assistance number is 800-680.7289 or go to www.transunion.com     
   2. Equifax is 800-685-1111, www.equifax.com
   3. Experian is 888-397-3742, www.experian.com
3. Fill out the ID theft affidavit from the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/idtheft,  or call 877-438-4338. The report takes about 10 mins to complete.
4. Provide the collection agency and all the creditors or merchants they are collecting for with the police report and the FTC affidavit.

After completing these steps the creditors and/or merchants should contact the collection agency they hired to have them drop the case and stop the collection phone calls.

You must remember, it is your responsibility to prove your innocence. Too many times people will tell the collection agency their identity was stolen just to get out from paying the debt.