Video instructions and help with filling out and completing identity theft information
How to file a police report for identity theft if you discover that you are the victim of identity theft one of the first things you should do is file a report with your local police department many people believe a local police report isn t necessary unless you know the potential perpetrator or believe they're nearby however even if nothing comes from the local police investigation a police report may be required by banks and creditors as proof of your identity when you dispute charges or new accounts reporting identity theft to local police complete an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission FTC go to HTTP colon slash slash W W identitytheft.gov or call one eight seven seven four three eight four three three eight to file an identity theft report with the FTC this report will help you organize your information once you complete the report online the FTC will give you a step-by-step recovery plan and checklist based on the information you provided you can provide the report to local police and it will help them with details as they prepare the local police report for you gather documents to support your claim if you have evidence of the identity theft on bank account or credit card statements or on your credit report print these out to provide to the police if you receive any email notifications or other information from your bank or credit card company print off copies of those as well you also may have bills or collection notices that include charges you didn't make if you received any email notifications or other information from your bank or credit card company print off copies of those as well you also may have bills or collection notices that include charges you didn't make visit your local police station you may be able to file a police report online or over the phone however when you're reporting identity theft it's typically better to go to the police station and talk to an officer in person if you have documents you gathered with evidence of the identity theft bring copies of these along with you you also want to bring documents that will prove your identity and address in addition to a driver's license or other government-issued ID you may want to bring along your birth certificate or social security card use utility bills to prove your address if you have documents you've gathered with evidence of the identity theft bring copies of these along with you you also want to bring documents that will prove your identity and address in addition to a driver's license or other government-issued ID you may want to bring along your birth certificate or social security card use utility bills to prove your address talk to an officer at the police station tell the desk officer that you want to file a police report for identity theft they may take basic information from you or give you some
FAQ
How do I get the taxes done in a social security that was used by someone else, but was under my name?
There are a number of steps to take, and I will give you a link below.Certainly for tax purposes, you need to contact the IRS. There is a form to fill out if someone else is using your SSN. Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. Use a fillable form at An official website of the United States government, print, then mail or fax according to instructions.You also should call your local social security office.Here are other steps to follow:Identity Theft Information for Taxpayers and Victims
What can I do to find out if someone is using my Social Security Number?
When an identity thief has a victim's Social Security number, he or she has a passport to commit Social Security fraud, identity theft, and many other crimes. This is one of the many reasons why people should never carry their Social Security cards in their wallets or purses. From the time of issuance when we're children, Social Security cards should be stored in a safe location at home, away from credit cards, drivers' licenses, and other personal information.If you suspect that a criminal has your Social Security number, the Social Security Administration can help point you in the right direction, but it can't fix your credit. You're the only one who can do that. To that end, here are some things to do if someone is using your Social Security number to commit identity theft and Social Security fraud:1. Stay cool and focused.While identity theft is stressful, you're the only person who can help with this problem, and you can't solve it in a week or a month. It will take time. Stay as calm and focused as possible, and methodically address the problem.2. Contact the credit reporting agencies.Contact TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian to place a fraud alert on your credit report. Each agency is required to alert the other two when you place an alert. The alert will prevent a thief from opening any new accounts in your name.• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285, www.equifax.com• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289, www.transunion.com• Experian: 1-888-397-3742, www.experian.com3. Get a copy of your credit report.The law requires each credit agency to provide you with a free copy of your credit report when you place a fraud alert. Examine each report carefully, and look for accounts in your name that you did not open.4. Contact each creditor.Make a list of the creditors, and contact them by phone and again by mail. Write down the names of the people with whom you speak at each creditor and when. Also, keep a list of all correspondence with each creditor. Remember that you're building your own case and rebuilding your credibility and creditworthiness from scratch. Keeping accurate records is one of your best tools for recovering from identity theft.5. Contact the Federal Trade Commission.The FTC has an Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-438-4338 and an online identity theft complaint form at https://www.ftccomplaintassistan....6. Contact the Social Security Administration.Fill out the SSA's online complaint form or call them at 1-800-269-0271 to report the activity.If a thief has your Social Security number, it will take a while to recover from identity theftbut you should know that you're not alone in your struggle. Millions of people are victims of Social Security fraud every year, and there are resources out there to help you if you're willing to go out and get them.
How is Facebook combating the practice of account cloning?
I came across account cloning when a college senior spotlighted her clone profile via Facebook status update, someone was asking money from her friends on her behalf, and I was amazed by the criminal psyche of people...Well, here is the gist as per my understanding and expetise as a Social Media Marketeer.What is Facebook profile cloning It is an identity theft, someone creates an imitation of your profile, takes your picture and about us information, and then adds your friends to their list. This entire thing is done with great precision, like in my senior's case, the impostor even blocked her before adding her friends (my senior had to put a public message stating someone is faking her profile). The user was manipulating her friends, in other cases people may even ask for money, so beware. So basically, a clone can do anything as you, and create a hell mess... just imagine, what if people start blocking you considering that hour’s is a fake profile. Scary! Who does it and what is the intention: Cyber criminals does it to steal information, theft, spread malicious messages or for crime. What you can do, if you are the victim: Report fake account to Facebook, if you are unable to see impostor account, report the account via email address, If you have a friend who's able to view the impostor account then they can block that account by following the steps given in the end of this answer.Facebook is amazingly responsive now a days to any sort of malpractices, here is what Facebook does: Facebook wants people to feel safe when using Facebook. Having said that, Facebook has developed a set of community standards, any user not following the community standards is questioned by Facebook in the form of one of the three security alerts:Normal Security Alert: Sends verification to Facebook registered mobile number and asks user to verify the number.Medium Security Alert: Creates a security check gateway, asks to recognize your friends, friend's images are shown to the user for friends name verification, this is done to verify that you are a real person.High Security Alert: In worst case scenario Facebook asks for Government Id card, licence, bus card, or similar cards with Age, picture and name etc. mentioned in it.How to report a cloned facebook account: How do I report a fake account that's pretending to be someone I know?Fake profiles and Pages created to imitate real people (impostor accounts) are not allowed on Facebook.If someone created an account pretending to be one of your friends, please ask them to report it to us. You can also send your friend a message that will let them know about the impostor profile. To send a message:Go to the impostor profileClick and select the option to reportFollow the instructions for an account that's pretending to be someone you knowIf your friend doesn't have a Facebook account, they'll need to fill out this form. Please keep in mind that we can only act on reports from the person who's being impersonated.What you can do to safeguard yourself: Set your friends list to "me only" view, your account will no longer be desirable to cyber criminals.Happy and safe face-booking!
How are you protecting yourself from identity theft?
Identity theft is a very serious offense that can ruin your finances and credit scores. The effects of identity theft are so devastating that it is difficult to compensate for the loss.Here are some steps that help you prevent identity theft:Create strong passwords – Create strong passwords using random combinations of letters, numbers, symbols or special characters. Make sure you create different passwords for different accounts. If needed, you can change them also from time to time.Shred your sensitive documents – Never toss your sensitive information like your bank details or receipts in the trash. Always dispose it properly using a cross-cut shredder or shredding service.Always check and monitor your credit reports – Ensure that your check your credit reports occasionally. You can request one free credit report every four months and review it to scan for any incorrect information.Protect your Social Security number – Do not share your personal login credentials with any one at any cost. Never keep your social security numbers in purse or wallets.Be cautious when using social media – Be smart when updating your personal information like your birthdays, addresses or contact details. Make sure you strengthen your privacy settings. Also, be careful when accepting friend requests or connectionsKeep your phones safe – Make sure you secure your phone by keeping screen locks or put passwords, disable Bluetooth when not using it and be careful while downloading any free software version.Learn how to detect phishing frauds – Do not open any unsolicited email attachments, embedded links, SMS or answer any phone call asking to reveal your personal information.Review and monitor your financial statements – If you find any suspicious activity in your bank or credit card accounts, report it to your respective bank immediately.Secure your mails – Swipe off unknown mails to prevent identity theft. Using a locked mailbox or P.O. Box is a good idea
What are good ways to protect yourself from identity theft?
Hi! There are many ways to prevent identity theft prevention. Of course, the first and foremost way would be to safeguard your private information like social security numbers, credit/debit card information, bank account details, etc. Sharing them via social media or e-mails is highly dubious as well as prone to theft. Try to share these kinds of details on call or in person.Another thing that is taking over the identity theft prevention milieu is performing KYC on a person before you begin dealing with them. There are many e-KYC softwares available today. The hottest one on the market now-a-days is Shufti Pro (Quick & Secure Digital Verification in Real Time - Shufti Pro).Shufti Pro performs quick, real-time digital identity verification for you and checks the authenticity of your customer and their legal documents. If they are not a fraud, then you can continue to perform business with them. Shufti Pro is cost and time effective and 99% accurate. I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed if you choose Shufti Pro! Do check out their link for more information. :)(Disclaimer: I'm an employee at Shufti Pro and hence, closely familiar with its workings. I highly recommend the app, not because of my affiliation with it, but because of its accuracy, efficiency and prowess.)
How do people use free proxy servers to gather personal information for identity theft or credit card fraud?
i would assume that the website that the user is on would ask them to enter their information to verify that the user is a human. Then again the website could have a/ some scripts working in the background without the users knowledge ( have noscript on at all time should help with this) that collects the information. There are scripts that can be codded to go through the cookies and find passwords and usernames for email(most big email clients have protection against this), now they have assess to your emails they can now pretend to be you and sign you up for cards online from banks or other crazy things. this is all assuming the user is clueless and does not know how to check if a site is safe or protected be a trust-able source or enables scripts on unknown sites or has not set up a permission of access for cookies on unknown sites. things like that.
My wife had her identity stolen. We were able to deduce who had done it, and when. What legal action could we take and how?
I’m going to assume in answering this that you have reported the crime to the police. If not, call them up. They’re usually nice people who come to your house and ask you a lot of questions to fill out their forms, and are genuinely grateful when you offer them lemonade and donuts.If by “what legal action could we take?” you mean a private civil lawsuit for money damages, I’m going to generalize here, but this is what we call in the boondocks “throwing good money after bad.”While it is possible that Bill Gates stole your wife’s identity just for the lulz, it’s not very likely. More likely it was someone who needs the money. Now why would you sue someone who needs money … for their money?They don’t have any. You can’t collect. You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.Just as an academic exercise, though, what do we call “identity theft” in the language of traditional torts?A complaint for money damages would probably include counts for “fraud” and “conversion”. If you think about it as an equitable claim (which you should because “identity theft” doesn’t quite meet the traditional elements of fraud, because the misrepresentations aren’t made to the victim of the theft but rather to a third party) maybe it’s “unjust enrichment”.After that, the peculiar facts of the case might suggest more claims. For example, if someone abused a position of trust to steal identifying information, you can sue them for “breach of fiduciary duty”.And there might be statutory claims in your jurisdiction. Worth a five second computer search to be sure.