This non-profit organization is dedicated to "helping people prevent and recover from identity theft." It has been an excellent resource in researching this article. Here are a few highlights:
This is the Federal Trade Commission's site to
educate consumers about identity theft and provides
useful first steps to take if you become a victim.
This is the organization that you, as an American
Internet user, can report non-emergency Internet crimes.
They collect and analyze reports received from the
American public and report the information to the FBI
and other federal, state and local authorities.
This is not a government agency, rather it is a division
of the non-profit National White Collar Crime.
If you have become a victim of identity theft, this
is not the primary agency to which you should report the crime. Your local Sheriff's department is the first place
to start. See the FTC's ID Theft link above for more
info.
If you were sent the "365 Anniversaries" e-mail
by
someone you don't know or if you have seen this letter
posted on a message board, you should definitely file a
report with the IC3.
This is the one and only site to retrieve your credit
report once a year for free from the three credit
bureaus. If you are worried that you have or may become
a victim of identity theft, you will want to retrieve
your credit report.
You will not be able to receive your credit score for
free. If you're worried about identity theft, you will
be looking for new lines of credit opened in your name,
new credit inquiries and new public records. Your score
is not of primary importance if your just interested in
determining whether or not someone has stolen your
identity.
Be very careful when you seek your credit report (see our topic "Credit Monitoring is a Rip Off!" for more info).
Only retrieve it from this site. Do not be suckered into
a credit monitoring service (you will be offered it when
you go to this site). If you are asked at any point to
enter a credit card number, back out and start from the
beginning.
The agencies have registered sites with similar names to annualcreditreport.com to fool consumers into paying for
what they have a right to for free. The FTC has levied
heavy fines against them. These credit agencies have
been successfully
sued through class action lawsuits for
their fraudulent practices regarding credit monitoring
services.
They continue to make barrel loads of money fleecing
the American public through borderline-legal techniques.
As a consumer, be very skeptical and suspicious of these
companies and make sure your receive your free credit
report and nothing else. Don't let yourself be victimized twice!
