IMPORTANT NEWS AND NOTICES ABOUT HOW TO REPORT IDENTITY THEFT AS A VICTIM OF THE TARGET SCAM!

It is important for identity theft victims to report their identity being taken right away as it happens. Reporting the theft will hinder some type of damage that may arise.

Millions of Americans are now victims of the Target identity theft due to the breach of security.  It is unfortunate that Target did not have the necessary security in place to protect its customers privacy, however, since we can not turn back the hands of time  – you better take the steps necessary to protect yourself NOW!

Two things you need to consider when reporting an identity theft. It involves finding out who to report the incident to and how to report the incident.  This is a serious matter for all retailers, not just Target.  Today, CNN reported that Nieman Marcus is has also been hacked.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/13/news/target-neiman-marcus-hack/

How victims can  report identity theft

In regards to a suspicion of Identity credit theft the first action you need to take is to contact the Company where you have all of your financial accounts. You should get in contact with the Security Division of the Companies and inform them that you have suspected that your account has been breached or hacked.

You should solicit a credit report just to make clear that no one has hacked into your account, or to find what changes have been made to your credit information and accounts

The company will do what they do best to check on the matter, try to fix the matter and put measures in place that can prevent the intrusion from recurring.

You should report the incident of stealing identity to the major credit reporting agencies. These agencies will place a fraud alert on your file and in the event that someone is trying to steal your personal information with the intention of getting credit the agency would alert the creditors to make contact with you by phone to find out the real identity of the person making the credit request.

If information relating to you and the government has been tampered with you should notify the necessary government entities. In regards to information stolen from your mail box you should inform the Post Office so that they become aware of it. The Post Office can then put measures in place to prevent that from recurring. You can also give advice as to the best and safest way to retrieve your mails.  The government agencies should be notified. In regard to your Social security being illegally used you should make a contact with the Social Security Administration. They will investigate what is going on for you. If your identity being stolen will affect your taxes it is advisable that you contact the Internal Revenue Services.

If you have suspected that your social security number has been illegally acquired to acquire employment you should make a report to the fraud hotline at the Social Security Administration’s Office. The number for the hotline can be located online.

In the event that your drivers license was stolen it is best to call the Secretary Of State’s Office in your area.

Additional information on how to report identity theft

As soon as your identity is stolen one of the actions that you should take is to contact your local Law Enforcement Agency and make a report. Identity theft is a criminal offense and is merit an investigation. The Police will require certain details from you in which to proceed with the investigation, Information such as what items were stolen and how they were stolen.

The information provided to the police will assist them in finding or identifying the culprit, make an arrest and then prosecute.  Make sure that if you are a victim of the Target Scam – make sure that you file a police report now.

You should make sure that you get a copy of the completed report that you have made to the Police along with any important phone numbers and names that you might be contacting.

You should contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about the identity theft. You can either contact them through their website, by phone or by going into their office. This government agency was created to protect consumers. You should provide to the Commission all the details of what really happened including your thoughts on how the theft actually happened. The Federal Trade Commission responsibility does not involve prosecution of criminals but it instead involves gathering important information on cases of identity theft which would detect theft patterns. Your report can also assist in finding out if there is a identity theft ring. The information gathered would be supplied to law enforcement. The FTC would also offer advice to the Police Department regarding protection from theft.

If you have suspected that someone is accessing your security investment you should make contact and file a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact could be made through the Internet.

It is imperative that you complete an affidavit of identity theft form. The affidavit form can be found online at the Federal Trade Commission’s website. An affidavit would be required by your credit card issuer.

The affidavit consists of two parts. Part one requires that you provide your personal and information on the theft. Part two requires that you submit in detail all the fraudulent accounts in question.

The affidavit form should be truthfully completed since creditors would need to figure out from the information presented in the affidavit that you are indeed telling the truth and that you are truly a victim of a theft.

Even though identity theft is a serious matter creditors need to make sure that you are not just complaining about a theft because you want to get out of a debt.

The completed affidavit should be notarized and a notarized copy should be sent to the creditors that are affected. The affidavit should be accompanied by any other information about the accounts that were fraudulently obtained. The affidavit of theft should be sent by certified mail. It is imperative that you ask for a return receipt.

It is best to have an action plan put in place if you become a victim of identity theft and this action plan includes finding out the steps to take if your identity is stolen. This will ensure that you are prepared in case it happens to you. It will aid in identity theft protection and give you a quicker response time.