Fraud and identity theft

Identity theft

Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal information like your name, Social Security number, credit card number, or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

Tips to protect yourself from identity theft

Follow these tips to protect yourself from scammers trying to steal your identity:

• Do not give your Social Security number, mother's maiden name, account numbers, or any other personal information to strangers who contact you by phone, internet, or mail. 
• Never give your information to anyone you don't know. 
• Guard your mail from theft. If you plan to be away from home, have your family or friends collect your mail daily or place a hold on it at your local post office branch. Pick up new checks at your banking branch instead of having them mailed to your home.
• Monitor your financial transactions. 
• Create strong passwords and PINs that aren't easily guessable. Do not use codes like your mother's name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your phone number, or an easy series of numbers such as 1234.
• Don't carry your Social Security card. Lock it in a secure place and give the number out only when necessary.
• Limit the number of credit and debit cards you carry around with you.
• Destroy documents with personally identifying information when you no longer need them.
• Monitor your credit. 

Resources

These resources may also help:

• Read the latest consumer alerts from the Federal Trade Commission.
• Check out IdentityTheft.gov, the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. It provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process.
• Follow these instructions from the Washington State Office of the Attorney General to protect your credit report.
• Put a PIN on your tax filings with instructions from the Internal Revenue Service.

What to do if you think your identity has been stolen

If you think your identity has been stolen, here are some tips on where to start:

1. Keep track of everything
   • Save all emails, letters, and forms related to the identity theft.
   • Write down the names of everyone you talk to, the date you talked, and what was said or done.
2. Report it to the police
   • Go to your local police station and file a report.
   • Ask for a case number. You’ll need it for other steps.
3. Tell your bank and creditors
   • Contact your bank, credit card companies, and any lenders.
   • Let them know your identity was stolen and ask them to watch for fraud.
4. Place a fraud alert on your credit
   • Call the three major credit reporting companies:
     • Equifax
     • Experian
     • TransUnion
   • Ask them to add a fraud alert and a victim statement to your file. This tells creditors to call you before opening any new accounts.
   • You’ll need your police case number for this.
5. Ask businesses about fraud in your name
   • Contact any business where someone may have used your name.
   • Ask for details about the transaction.
   • They may ask for proof of your identity. You might need to get fingerprints (for a small fee) from the Washington State Patrol.
6. Report it to the federal government
   • Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report your identity theft.
7. Submit a claim to the Washington State Patrol
   • File a compromised identity claim. This claim may help explain compromised information on a background check.
8. Secure your Department of Licensing (DOL) accounts
   • Add an email address to any DOL accounts you have so we can notify you if someone makes changes to your account or information.