Fraud and Credit Monitoring
Proactive Monitoring Services: On the Lookout For Identity Issues
Savvy criminals can use a victim's personal information to hijack entire credit report and security protections. This means they can control all of a victim's accounts, open new accounts and remove any credit alerts or freezes warning creditors that an individual may be a victim of identity theft. Criminals can even pretend to be you when they commit crimes.
If you suspect your credit file has been hijacked or that a criminal has stolen your identity, check with your insurer or bank to see if they can provide you with IDT911 services.
1. Check your credit reports as frequently as possible, at least twice a year. Ask for a 3-in-1, merged credit report with a summary from all three credit bureaus. Under the federal FACT Act, consumers are entitled to one free credit report each year from each of the major agencies. For details, visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877.322.8228.
2. Enroll for credit monitoring to regularly monitor credit activity in your files.
3. Enroll in fraud monitoring. This goes far beyond credit monitoring alone. Fraud monitoring can watch for signs of identity theft and fraud in public records, internet chat rooms, criminal records, and more, to alert you of attempts to alter or acquire your identity data.