Chris O'Shea
If you find out someone has opened a credit card in your name, time is of the essence. You need to act quickly, but efficiently. Here are three vital steps to take.
Step 1: Contact the Lender
The first thing to do is contact the credit card company and report the issue. They will likely connect you to their fraud department, which will then take some information. The company is legally required to investigate your fraud claim.
Once the investigation is opened, you will then:
- Send the form provided by the card company that disputes whether the account is yours.
- Make sure you make a copy of this form for yourself.
- Send it via certified mail.
Step 2: Contact the Bureaus
While the card company investigates your claim, contact all three credit bureaus and either do a fraud alert or a credit freeze.
- Fraud Alert. A fraud alert signals to creditors that you might have been the victim of fraud, and thus makes them take extra steps to open any more accounts.
- Credit Freeze. If you want to be extra safe, you should do a credit freeze. A freeze locks your credit, preventing anyone from opening an account unless you unfreeze your reports.
No matter what you choose, be sure to make this move for each of the three credit bureaus.
Step 3: Contact the FTC
The final step is to contact the FTC and report that you’ve been the victim of identity theft. This will help prove that you are correct in your claim.
Do One Thing: Act fast if you find that someone has opened a credit card in your name.
