Although everyone has probably heard about identity theft, when it happens
to someone close or to yourself, it brings a whole different perspective.

This week, an individual close to me discovered that her identity has been
stolen and that an unidentified person has been using her Social Security
Number to obtain education loans and cars and houses since she was 13 y/o.

Not unlike others, she discovered this breach when trying to get a loan
herself and had to have a credit check on file.  

When she got a copy of the credit report, she very nearly
had to be sedated as she slowly realized all the charges that did not
belong to her and as she came to terms with what had happened.

This breach can be very significant not only because it affects your credit,
but also because they can access Social Security benefits including
retirement income and start getting your money sent to them.
When it comes time for you to apply, you can find that your benefits have
been hijacked by someone else.  Even though this is theft, it can take
years to get corrected and may not ever be completely cleared. 

Experian
TransUnion
Equifax


To follow are some of the things to do if you discover identity theft:

*Notify all three credit bureaus and ask them to put an alert on your
account.  This will give you opportunity to get notification if there is
any activity on your credit and to possibly stop unauthorized activity
in the future.

*File a police report with your local precinct.

*Call the District Attorney's office and find out what they can do to
help you if criminal charges are to be filed.

*Call the Social Security Administration and alert them to the problem.
Get an appointment immediately to talk to an agent about what you
should do to protect your current or future benefits.