• At once close any accounts that have been affected (credit card, banks, newly opened accounts in your name, etc.).

• Do not reuse old PINs.

• Contact the fraud department of the credit bureaus and attach a fraud alert to your credit file. The intention is for you to be notified if there is any activity with your credit. You should also receive a copy of your credit report from the credit bureaus.

• File a police report. Make sure you get the report number.

• Keep a close eye on your credit report. Correct any information that is not correct.

• Cancel, where possible, old and obtain new identification: drivers license, social security number, insurance cards, library cards, etc.

• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) .

• Complete a fraud affidavit and send it to all your creditors (see the FTC website for details).

• Keep excellent records of all your correspondence with creditors and agencies regarding your situation: document, document and document.

Once identity theft has occurred, on average, victims spend over $1,500 and countless hours clearing his or her name. A handful of companies offer an identity theft program. One of them, PrePaidLegal, offers the Identity Theft Shield program, where membership includes regular credit report monitoring, credit report evaluation and identity restoration. To find out more you can go to: www. prepaidlegal.com/hub/hofmannjm.

Additional information regarding issues of identity theft can be found on the following sites:
www.usdoj.gov, www.ftc.gov, and www.idtheftcenter.org.

To contact the credit bureau services go to:
www.equifax.com, www.experian.com, and/or www.tuc.com.