There are certain steps an identity theft victim should follow to being the recovery process. The order of the steps is important, as many of the later steps require information from the previous one.
Investigating Identity Theft
If identity theft has occurred, the first step is identifying as much information as possible regarding the theft. The victim should obtain full copies of each of their credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus - Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. After receiving these reports, which can be instant if done online, or take up to three weeks if ordered through the mail, the reports should be carefully analyzed.
When looking at the credit reports, the victim should identify any activity - accounts opened, inquiries made, employment records that are inaccurate, alternate names provided - that was not generated by them. In addition to reviewing the three reports individually, the reports should be compared to each other for discrepancies.
