Fraud Resources and Course of Action
I've learned quite a bit in the last few days about online fraud, so here's a data dump in case it's useful to you.
The scenario: my Mom's credit card number and the last four digits of her social security number were compromised. What do you do?
Steps (in rough order):
1. Call your bank and have the credit card cancelled.
Every bank has a specific fraud department for this, and cards get reissued all the time because of various data leaks, hacks, etc. They should be able to issue you a new card in only a few days.
This is what needs to be done first, because a credit card number is much more immediately useful to criminals than a partial SS#.
2. Freeze your credit report at the major credit agencies.
This needs to be done so that no one can try to use your credit information to take out loans or accounts in your name.
There are three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. With each one, you can register for an account online and freeze your credit report. Note: if you don't answer the credit history questions correctly (which can happen if your credit report has errors), you won't be able to set up an account online and you'll then have to descend into phone hell (which I had to do with Equifax--it was bad).
If you can't set up an account online, you'll have to fax a cover letter and proof of address and identification directly to the credit agency.
3. The FTC has an excellent online resource about identify fraud, and it's here: FTC.
Once you get credit cards cancelled and credit reports frozen, there's not much these losers can do with your information.
This is never a great situation, but you can quickly shut down the possible damage that can be done.
<< Home