Yahoo was recently hacked and millions of identities were stolen. Was yours? If you are a Yahoo user and are unsure of whether you are a victim of identity theft, here are some tips for you to minimize any potential damage that you may suffer.
First, order your credit reports from each of the major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union). You can get your credit reports for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. You get one free pull of each credit report, once a year.
Upon receipt, review them thoroughly to see if there is any information you do not recognize, including the following: (1) accounts you do not recognize; (2) inquiries for credit that you do not recognize; and (3) personal identifying information that does not belong to you (such as an inaccurate social security number, name or address). If you do find information on your credit report that does not belong to you or is not accurate, you can dispute that information to the credit reporting agencies or contact a free credit repair attorney who can do that for you.
Second, if you discover that you are a victim of identity theft, make a police report. Without a police report, no credit bureau is going to take you seriously about your claim of identity theft. Since a lot of identity theft involves one family member taking the identity of another, many victims refuse to get a police report. However, this step is necessary.
Lastly, you should also place a fraud alert on your credit file. With a fraud alert, creditors and lenders who pull your credit report are notified to take additional steps before they extend credit in your name. There are some drawbacks to it, but a 90 days fraud alert is a good idea if you are the victim of identity theft.
If you are a victim of identity theft and want to speak to a lawyer for identity theft or credit repair lawyer, contact us at Credit Repair Lawyers of America or call Attorney Gary Nitzkin at (888) 293-2882 or email him at [email protected].
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