REFERENCE GUIDE

We encourage individuals who believe their information may have been affected by this incident to take the following steps:

 

Order Your Free Credit Report?

 

To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free at (877) 322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's ("FTC") website at www.ftc.gov and mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

The three credit bureaus provide free annual credit reports only through the website, toll-free number or request form.

 

When you receive your credit report, review it carefully. Look for accounts you did not open. Look in the "inquiries" section for names of creditors from whom you haven't requested credit. Some companies bill under names other than their store or commercial names. The credit bureau will be able to tell you when that is the case. Look in the "personal information" section for any inaccuracies in your information (such as home address and Social Security number).

 

If you see anything you do not understand, call the credit bureau at the telephone number on the report. Errors in this information may be a warning sign of possible identity theft. You should notify the credit bureaus of any inaccuracies in your report, whether due to error or fraud, as soon as possible so the information can be investigated and, if found to be in error, corrected. If there are accounts or charges you did not authorize, immediately notify the appropriate credit bureau by telephone and in writing.

 

If you find items you don't understand on your report, call the credit bureaus at the number given on the report. Credit bureau staff will review your report with you. If the information can't be explained, then you will need to call the creditors involved. Information that can't be explained also should be reported to your local police or sheriff's office because it may signal criminal activity.

 

 

 

Contact the U.S. Federal Trade Commission

 

If you detect any unauthorized transactions in your financial account, promptly notify your payment card company or financial institution. If you detect any incident of identity theft or fraud, promptly report the incident to your local law enforcement authorities, your state Attorney General and the FTC. If you believe your identity has been stolen, the FTC recommends that you take these additional steps:

• Close the accounts that you have confirmed or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the FTC's ID Theft Affidavit (available at www.ftc.gov/idtheft) when you dispute new unauthorized accounts.
  
  
• File a local police report. Obtain a copy of the police report and submit it to your creditors and any others that may require proof of the identity theft crime.

 

You can contact the FTC to learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming
a victim of identity theft:

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)
www.ftc.gov/idtheft/

 

 

Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit File

 

To protect yourself from possible identity theft, consider placing a fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert helps protect you against the possibility of an identity thief opening new credit accounts in your name. When a merchant checks the credit history of someone applying for credit, the merchant gets a notice that the applicant may be the victim of identity theft. The alert notifies the merchant to take steps to verify the identity of the applicant. You can place a fraud alert on your credit report by calling any one of the toll-free numbers provided below. You will reach an automated telephone system that allows you to flag your file with a fraud alert at all three credit bureaus.

 

Equifax	P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, Georgia 30374-0241	877-478-7625	www.equifax.com
Experian	P.O. Box 9532 Allen, Texas 75013	888-397-3742	www.experian.com
TransUnion	Fraud Victim Assistance Division P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, California 92834-6790	800-680-7289	www.transunion.com

 

 

Place a Security Freeze on Your Credit File

 

You may wish to place a "security freeze" (also known as a "credit freeze") on your credit file. A security freeze is designed to prevent potential creditors from accessing your credit file at the credit bureaus without your consent. There may be fees for placing, lifting, and/or removing a security freeze, which generally range from $5-$20 per action. Unlike a fraud alert, you must place a security freeze on your credit file at each credit bureau individually. Since the instructions for establishing a security freeze differ from state to state, please contact the three national credit bureaus to find out more information. 

 

Equifax	P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, Georgia 30348	877-478-7625	www.equifax.com
Experian	P.O. Box 9554 Allen, Texas 75013	888-397-3742	www.experian.com
TransUnion	Fraud Victim Assistance Division P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, California 92834	888-909-8872	www.transunion.com

 

The credit bureaus may require proper identification prior to honoring your request. For example, you may be asked to provide:

• Your full name with middle initial and generation (such as Jr., Sr., II, III)
• Your Social Security number
• Your date of birth
• Proof of your current residential address (such as a current utility bill)
• Addresses where you have lived over the past five years
• A legible copy of a government-issued identification card (such as a state driver's license or military ID card)

 

For Maryland Residents.

 

You can obtain information from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General about steps you can take to avoid identity theft. You can contact the Maryland Attorney General at:

Maryland Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
888-743-0023 (toll-free in Maryland)
410-576-6300
www.oag.state.md.us

 

For Massachusetts Residents.

 

The credit bureaus may charge you a fee of up to $5 to place a freeze on your account, and may require that you provide proper identification prior to honoring your request. There is no charge, however, to place, lift or remove a security freeze if you provide the credit bureaus with a valid police report. You have the right to obtain a police report if you are the victim of identity theft.

 

 

 

For North Carolina Residents.

 

You can obtain information from the North Carolina Attorney General's Office about preventing identity theft. You can contact the North Carolina Attorney General at:

North Carolina Attorney General's Office
9001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
877-566-7226 (toll-free in North Carolina) 
919-716-6400
www.ncdoj.gov