This kit is designed to help you work through the process of resolving your identity theft case and
clearing your name. While there are many general identity theft resource guides available, this kit
was specifically developed to provide assistance to Floridians who are identity theft victims, as well
as individuals in other states who had their personal information fraudulently used in the state of
Florida.
Navigating through the system as an identity theft victim can be a lengthy and confusing process. As
you contact law enforcement, creditors, and financial institutions, it is important that you keep
track of the actions you take and retain a record of your progress.
When your identity is stolen your personal identifiers can be misused in a variety of different ways.
As soon as you become aware that your information has been misused, there are several basic steps you
should take that apply to nearly all kinds of identity theft cases:
Step One
Report the incident to the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus.
- Ask the credit bureaus to place a "fraud alert" on your credit report.
- Order copies of your credit reports so you can review them to see if any additional fraudulent
accounts have been opened in your name or if any authorized charges have been made to other accounts.
- Request a victim's statement that asks creditors to contact you prior to opening new accounts or
making changes to any existing accounts.
Contact information for the three major credit bureaus is as follows:
Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
To order your report: 1-800-685-1111
To report fraud: 1-800-525-6285
TDD: 800-255-0056
www.equifax.com
TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634-6790
Email: fvad@transunion.com
To order your report: 1-800-888-4213
To report fraud: 1-800-680-7289
TDD: 877-553-7803
www.transunion.com
Experian
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
To order your report: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
To report fraud: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
TDD: 800-972-0322
www.experian.com
Step Two
Contact the fraud department of each of your creditors.
- Gather the contact information for each of your credit accounts (credit cards, utilities, cable
bills, etc.) and call the fraud department for each creditor.
- Report the incident to each creditor, even if your account at that institution has not been
tampered with. Close the accounts that you believe have been compromised. Ask the credit bureaus to
place an "alert" on any accounts that remain open.
- Follow-up in writing immediately. The Federal Trade Commission provides an Identity Theft
Affidavit (attached), a standardized form used to report new accounts fraudulently opened in your
name. Check with the company to see if they accept this form. If not, request that they send you their
fraud dispute form.
- Confirm all conversations in writing. Follow behind your phone call with a letter and any
necessary documentation to support your claim.
- Call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) and request a copy of their
brochure "Identity Crime: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name." This brochure contains sample
dispute letters to help get you started as well as more information on resolving credit problems. The
brochure is also available through the Federal Trade Commission website at www.ftc.gov
Step Three
Contact your bank or financial institution.
- If your checks have been stolen, or if you believe they have been used, contact your bank or
credit union and stop payment right away.
- Put stop payments on any outstanding checks that you are unsure about.
- Contact the major check verification companies and request they notify retailers who use their
databases not to accept your checks:
- TeleCheck 1-800-710-9898 or 927-0188
- Cetergy, Inc 1-800-437-5120
- International Check Services 1-800-631-9656
- Call SCAN at 1-800-262-7771 to learn if bad checks have been passed in your name
- If you suspect your accounts have been compromised, cancel your checking and savings accounts and
obtain new account numbers.
Step Four
Report the incident to law enforcement.
- Contact your local police department or sheriffs office to file a report. Under Florida Statute
817.568, the report may be filed in the location in which the offense occurred, or, the city or county
in which you reside.
- When you file the report, provide as much documentation as possible, including copies of debt
collection letters, credit reports, and your notarized ID Theft Affidavit.
- Request a copy of the police report. Some creditors will request to see the report to remove the
debts created by the identity thief.
What Else Can I Do?
File a complaint with the FTC's Identity Theft Clearinghouse
The Clearinghouse is the federal government's repository for ID theft complaints. Complaint
information is entered into a central database, the Consumer Sentinel, which is accessed by many local
and state law enforcement agencies in Florida, as well as Florida's Attorney General, for identity
theft investigation. Call the toll free hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT.
Flag your Florida Driver's License
At your request, the Fraud Section of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV)
will place a flag on your driver's license if you are a victim of identity theft (regardless of
whether your Florida Driver's License has been compromised). To reach the Fraud Section, call (850)
488-4579. You will be asked to submit your request in writing to:
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
DDL/BDI - Fraud Section, Room A327
Neil Kirkman Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0570
If you believe that the identity thief has actually used your personal information to secure a Florida
Driver's License or Identification Card, DSHMV will conduct a fraud investigation. To initiate this
investigation, request a DHSMV Identity Theft Report Form and mail it to the address above. The form
is also available through the DHSMV website at www.hsmv.state.fl.us
Get assistance through Florida's Fraud Hotline.
Florida's Attorney General provides a toll-free fraud hotline for Floridians who are the victims of
Fraud. Contact the hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). Trained advocates can help provide
additional resource information in your area.
Check your Florida criminal history information.
In some instances of identity theft, a victim may be faced with a criminal record for a crime he or
she did not commit. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) can provide a Compromised Identity
Review (based on a fingerprint comparison of state criminal history files) to determine what, if any,
criminal history belongs to you, and if any arrest records have been falsely associated with you as a
result of someone using your identity. If a fingerprint check determines you are an identity theft
victim, FDLE will work with local law enforcement agencies to attempt to clear fraudulent data from
the criminal history files and provide you with a Compromised Identity Certificate. For more
information, contact FDLE's Quality Control Section at (850) 410-8880 or visit
www.fdle.state.fl.us
Contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
After you have filed a report with local law enforcement and with the FTC's Identity Theft
Clearinghouse, you may contact FDLE. FDLE Special Agents who work identity theft cases may be able to
provide additional guidance and assistance. Check your phone book to find the nearest FDLE Regional
Operations Center or visit www.fdle.state.fl.us
Remove your personal identifiers from Florida court records.
Any person has the right to request the Clerk or County Recorder to redact/remove his or her Social
Security number, bank account number, credit, debit or charge card number from an image or copy of an
Official Record that has been placed on such Clerk's/County Recorder's publicly available Internet
website, or in a court file. If you believe your personal information appears in a publicly available
record, contact your County Clerk's Office to initiate a request. A listing of all County Clerks can
be found at www.flclerks.com
Report Mail Theft to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will investigate if your mail has been stolen by an identity thief
and used to obtain new credit or commit fraud. Incidents should be reported to your nearest U.S.
Postal Inspection Service district office. Check your telephone book for your local office or
visit www.usps.com
Report Passport Fraud to the U.S. Department of State.
If your passport is lost or stolen, or you believe it is being used fraudulently, contact your local
Department of State field office. Check your telephone book for your local office or
visit www.state.gov
Protect your Social Security number.
The Social Security Administration can verify the accuracy of the earnings reported on your social
security number. To check for inaccuracies or fraud, order a copy of your Personal Earnings and
Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES) from the Social Security Administration by calling
1-800-772-1213 or visiting www.ssa.gov
Instructions for Completing the ID Theft Affidavit
To make certain that you do not become responsible for the debts incurred by the identity thief, you
must provide proof that you didn't create the debt to each of the companies where accounts were opened
or used in your name. A working group composed of credit grantors, consumer advocates and the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) developed this ID Theft Affidavit to help you report information to many
companies using just one standard form. Use of this affidavit is optional. While many companies
accept this affidavit, others require that you submit more or different forms. Before you send the
affidavit, contact each company to find out if they accept it.
You can use this affidavit where a new account was opened in your name. The information will enable
the companies to investigate the fraud and decide the outcome of your claim. (If someone made
unauthorized charges to an existing account, call the company to find out what to
do.)
This affidavit has two parts:
- ID Theft Affidavit is where you report general information about yourself and the theft.
- Fraudulent Account Statement is where you describe the fraudulent account(s) opened in your name. Use a separate Fraudulent Account Statement for each company you need to write to.
When you send the affidavit to the companies, attach copies (NOT originals) of any
supporting documents (e.g., drivers license, police report) you have. Before submitting your
affidavit, review the disputed account(s) with family members or friends who may have information
about the account(s) or access to them.
Complete this affidavit as soon as possible.
Many creditors ask that you send it within two weeks of receiving it. Delaying could slow the
investigation.
Be as accurate and complete as possible.
You may choose not to provide some of the information requested. However, incorrect or incomplete
information will slow the process of investigating your claim and absolving the debt.
Please print clearly.
When you have finished completing the affidavit, mail a copy to each creditor, bank or company that
provided the thief with the unauthorized credit, goods or services you describe. Attach to each
affidavit a copy of the Fraudulent Account Statement with information only on accounts opened at the
institution receiving the packet, as well as any other supporting documentation you are able to
provide.
Send the appropriate documents to each company by certified mail, return receipt requested,
so you can prove that it was received. The companies will review your claim and send you a written
response telling you the outcome of their investigation. Keep a copy of everything you submit for
your records.
If you cannot complete the affidavit, a legal guardian or someone with power of attorney may complete
it for you. Except as noted, the information you provide will be used only by the company to process
your affidavit, investigate the events you report and help stop further fraud. If this affidavit is
requested in a lawsuit, the company might have to provide it to the requesting party. Completing
this affidavit does not guarantee that the identity thief will be prosecuted or that the debt will
be cleared.
You can download the ID Theft Affidavit at:
http://myfloridalegal.com/affidavit.pdf
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