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What to do if you suspect identity theft

Many people who have been identity theft victims have been at a loss for what they need to do in this situation. Identity theft can happen to anyone and many times you will have done nothing to cause this.

If you discover that you've been a victim of identity theft, it is imperative that you take steps immediately to start to work on the damage that occurred by the identity thief.

First, identify what happened. Lost credit cards, drivers licenses, Social Security cards and other personal documents should be reported or canceled immediately.

Canceling these will ensure that they can no longer be used by anyone. You should also be sure that no purchases have been made that were not authorized by you. Contact your credit card companies to get through this tough situation and to insure that you will not be held liable.

You should also be sure to review your credit report as soon as you can. You can order a free credit report online. You should be sure that everything on your credit report is correct. Should you find a problem, be sure report it right away.

Checking your credit report can either put you to rest that you have not suffered from identity theft or can show you where to look when your identity has been stolen. If you ever find accounts listed that you are not aware of it can be a sign that you have been struck by identity theft. Also make sure you check the addresses listed to be sure no one has tried to get credit under your name using a different address. If you do find any problems with your credit report it is important that you get in touch with the lenders to find out what is going on and to let them know that you never opened that account. You can find the numbers of these lenders actually on the credit report to make it easy to contact lenders about the identity theft.

After you have made the initial reports you will need to go on working with the lenders to get to the bottom of the problem. At times you may even need the help of an attorney to help you get through some of this identity theft process. It is important that you take measure to protect yourself and be aware of what you can do if you ever are the victim of identity theft.