Who R U? Dealing with Identity Theft

The New York Times reports that identity fraud accounted for $49 billion in losses in 2006. Although rates of identity theft appear to be decreasing, it is still a crime that affects nearly 4 percent of Americans.

If you are a victim of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers four steps you should take immediately after the identity theft has been detected:

1. Contact a consumer reporting company (such as Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) and request a fraud alert on your credit card.
2. Close all affected accounts and fraudulently created accounts.
3. File a complaint with the FTC (1-877-ID-THEFT).
4. File a complaint with the local police and/or with the police in the area where the identity theft took place.

For more details, visit the FTC’s identity theft website at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/