What rights do I have if I’m a victim of identity theft?

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) gives you special rights when you are, or believe that you are, a victim of identity theft.

• You have the right to ask that nationwide consumer reporting agencies place “fraud alerts” on your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft.
• You have the right to free copies of the information in your file.
• You have the right to obtain documents relating to fraudulent transactions made or accounts opened using your personal information.
• You have the right to obtain information about the debt that you believe was incurred in your name by an identity thief.
• If you believe information in your file results from identity theft, you have the right to request a consumer-reporting agency block that from your file.
• You may also prevent businesses from reporting information about you to consumer reporting agencies if you believe the information is a result of identity theft.

To learn more about identity theft, detection, and your rights, visit http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft or the Federal Trade Commission website www.ftc.gov/credit.