Identity Theft

Credit Bureaus

Government and State Resources

Nonprofit Organizations

For-profit Organizations

• Equifax
  Click on ‘FACT Act’ on the right-hand side of the page to learn about your free credit report. Equifax provides information solutions to businesses and consumers.

• Experian
  Click on ‘free Experian Credit Report’ under U.S. Consumers. Experian helps organizations find the best prospects and make informed decisions to personalize and develop customer relationships (CRM).

• TransUnion
  Click on ‘Free Annual Credit Report’ to find out about receiving your report. Also, check out the ‘Fraud’ section to learn more about information and help regarding fraud. TransUnion offers products and services, as well as facilitating options and opportunities, which promote greater financial health.

Federal Agencies

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  The FTC offers information for victims. File your case with the FTC Consumer Response Center. Include your police report number. Use the FTC uniform affidavit form. The Federal Trade Commission regulates other credit card and debit card issuers.

• Internet Fraud Complaint Center
  File a complaint against SPAM, Credit/Debit Card Fraud, hacking or other types of fraud. The Internet Fraud Complaint Center is run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center.

• MyMoney.gov
  A list of Federal Web sites about privacy, fraud and scams. Click here for credit information. To reach the widest number of people possible, the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission established a Web site and a toll-free telephone number to coordinate the presentation of educational materials from across the spectrum of federal agencies that deal with financial issues and markets.

• National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
  This page provides information about the NCUA Fraud Hotline. The National Credit Union Administration regulates federally chartered credit unions.

• OnGuard Online
  Learn about phishing, identity theft and other Internet safety issues. OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) maintains OnGuardOnline.gov with significant contributions from other associations and nonprofit partners. The FTC, the nation's consumer protection agency, works for the consumer to prevent unfair business practices and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them.

• Social Security Administration
  Report fraud related to your social security number and information. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is headed by a Commissioner and has a staff of over 65,000 employees within an organizational structure of 13 offices.

• U.S. Department of Justice
  The Department of Justice has good information on identity theft, Internet fraud, telemarketing fraud and other types of fraud. The Department of Justice’s mission is to enforce the law and defend the interest of the United States according to the law.

• U.S. Department of State, Passport Services
  This page provides information on what to do if your passport has been lost or stolen within the United States. If it has been lost or stolen while you are overseas, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate.
  The Department of States is responsible for foreign affairs and resources.

• U.S. Postal Inspection Service
  The U.S. Postal Inspection Service offers a good overview on consumer fraud and mail security. Click on ‘Mail Fraud’ or ‘Mail Theft’ on the left-hand side of the page to learn more about mail security.

Legal

Government and State Resources

Nonprofit Organizations

• LawHelp
  LawHelp helps low and moderate income people find free legal aid programs in their communities, and answers to questions about their legal rights in areas related to housing, work, family, bankruptcy, disability, immigration and other topics. This site has been built by Pro Bono Net, a nonprofit organization headquartered in New York, and by partnering legal aid organizations.

• Nolo.com
  Link to legal matters on property and money, rights and disputes, family law and more. Nolo.com is a legal guide, which provides do-it-yourself legal solutions for consumers and small businesses.

Junk Mail/Telemarketing Protection

Government and State Resources

• National Do Not Call Registry – FTC
  Registering with the FTC’s Do Not Call List should stop telemarketers from calling your home or other numbers. You must wait at least 31 days for the registration to go through. Also, you must re-register in 5 years. Go online to register or call 888-382-1222. The Federal Trade Commission regulates other credit card and debit card issuers and other marketing companies.

Nonprofit Organizations

• Direct Marketing Association
  Click the above link find out more on how to remove your name and information from telephone, e-mail and direct marketing lists. For some lists you may have to re-register after 5 years (2 years for e-mail). It also has information on how to remove deceased individual’s names from marketing lists. NOTE: Signing these lists will not eliminate all telemarketing activity. Only the companies who are members of DMA will use these do-not-contact lists. Established in 1917, The DMA is the oldest and largest national trade association serving the direct marketing field.

For-profit Organizations

• Catalog Opt-Out
  Go to the left side of the page and choose 'catalog opt out' to find more about opting out of catalog mailing lists from Abacus and Double Click. You can also opt-out of DoubleClick’s e-mail list and ad cookie list as well. Abacus, a division of DoubleClick, maintains a cooperative database to which members of the Abacus Alliance, mostly catalog companies and publishing companies, contribute information about their customers in exchange for information about other consumers who may be interested in their products.

• Credit Card Offers – Opt Out Prescreen
  You can opt out of pre-approved offers for credit cards, insurance information and other offers by registering with Opt Out Prescreen. This site also allows you to ‘opt-in’ should you decide you want to receive offers again. You can also call 1-888-5OPT OUT (1-888-567-8688) to take your name of many pre-approved credit card lists. You may choose a two-year time-out period or permanent opt-out status. NOTE: Not all states offer this service. Optoutprescreen.com is a joint venture between Equifax Information Services, LLC, Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Innovis Data Solutions, Inc., and TransUnion, LLC (collectively the "Consumer Credit Reporting Companies").

• Junkbusters
  This Web site contains sample and printable letters you can send to many institutions (credit cards, financial institutions) to opt-out of their services. Junkbusters Corp. was founded in April 1996 in Green Brook, New Jersey, with the mission of helping people get rid of junk messages of all kinds: spam, telemarketing calls, unwanted junk mail, junk faxes, and more.

Nonprofit Organizations

Government and State Resources

• Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC)
  The (ITRC) lists regional victim support groups on its web site and offers many guides for victims. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is a nonprofit program dedicated exclusively to identity theft.

• National Association of Consumer Advocates
  This site can help you find a lawyer who specializes in consumer law. At their site, click on the ‘Find a Lawyer’ or ‘Resource Center’ tabs to find what you need. NACA is a nonprofit association of attorneys and consumer advocates committed to representing customers’ interests.

• National Cyber Security Alliance
  A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is the go-to resource for cyber security awareness and education for home user, small business, and education audiences.
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC)
  Click on ‘Fact Sheets’ on the left-hand side of the page to begin learning more about privacy protection and identity theft.

  For more information, go to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and look at Fact Sheets No. 4 and No. 5 on reducing junk mail and telemarketing calls. www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm and www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs5-tmkt.htm

WHN - Home Inventory

• Home Inventory Lists
  Print out and fill in these WHN forms for each room in your home. A detailed list of your possessions and their locations, estimated value and price, can make it easier when filing a claim after a loss or disaster. A home inventory is a well-documented list and videos/photos of the belongings in your home. Click on the link above to learn more about making your own home inventory lists.