Contact the Federal Trade Commission (877-438-4338,
www.consumer.gov/idtheft), which runs the Identity Theft
Clearinghouse. The booklet "When Bad Things Happen to Your Good
Name" explains how to clean up your accounts.
Contact one of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax (800-685-1111, www.equifax.com), Experian
(888-397-3742, www.experian.com), and Trans-Union (800-916-8800,
www.transunion.com) — and ask
that a fraud alert be put on all your accounts. The bureau you've
chosen will then share this request with the others.
Contact credit-card issuers and your bank. Cancel existing cards
and ask for new ones to be issued.
File a police report. The resulting credibility can help speed up
the arduous process of reclaiming your identity.
