What should I do if my Social Security number was compromised?
1. Order one credit report from one of the national consumer reporting companies.
If you are a victim of identity theft, you will see evidence of it on your credit report. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a free Annual Credit Report Request Service.
You may request your free credit report by phone, online, or through the mail. Free credit reports requested online are viewable immediately upon authentication of identity. Free credit reports requested by phone or mail will be processed within 15 days of receiving your request.
If you chose to request and view your report online, be sure to do so from a secure Internet connection (i.e., not from a wireless connection).
Phone: 877.322.8228
Web: www.annualcreditreport.com
Mail: Complete the Annual Credit Request Form (PDF) and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
For more information about free credit reports, read "Your Access to Free Credit Reports".
2. Place an initial fraud alert on your credit reports.
An initial fraud alert lets potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft. A fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you.
For example, a potential creditor must verify your identity before issuing you credit. As part of this verification process, the business may try to contact you directly. This may cause some delays if you're trying to obtain credit. To compensate for possible delays, you may wish to include a cell phone number, where you can be reached easily, in your alert. Remember to keep current all contact information in your alert.
Call the toll-free fraud number of one of the three consumer reporting companies listed below to place an initial fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too.
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 (please note: online fraud alert form is NOT available)
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013 (please note: an online fraud alert form is available)
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 (please note: online fraud alert form is NOT available)
You will be asked to provide appropriate proof of your identity including your Social Security number and other personal information (e.g., your zip code, the numeric portion of your street address, your year and/or month of birth, your day and evening phone numbers). Step-by-step instructions on how to do this are included in the Additional Resources section of this web site.
An initial fraud alert stays in effect for 90 days. You may remove the alert at any time by contacting one of the three consumer reporting companies.
After you place an initial fraud alert, you will receive a follow-up letter from each of the three consumer reporting companies. Each letter will explain how you can order a free copy of your credit report from that company.
3. When you receive your credit report, review it carefully.
Here’s what to look for:
- Check your name, address, marital status, Social Security number, and employment information. Make sure this information is accurate.
- Check that each account listed is an account that you established and that there is no suspicious activity on the account. Close any accounts that you no longer use.
- Check the inquiries section of your report. Verify that each inquiry was the result of your activity (e.g. you applied for a mortgage, auto loan or other credit and authorized the lender to request a copy of your credit report; you requested a copy of your credit report).
If you find fraudulent or inaccurate information, get it corrected. To learn how, read “Correcting Fradulent Information in Credit Reports”.
4. Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.
Look for charges you did not make. Also, be alert to signs that require immediate attention:
- Mail or bills that do not arrive as expected
- Unexpected credit cards or account statements
- Denials of credit for no apparent reason
- Calls, e-mails, or letters about purchases you did not make
5. Ninety days after you initially order a credit report, order another free copy of your credit report from another one of the national consumer reporting companies. Review it carefully.
6. Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year after this data theft incident, to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.
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