Reclaiming Your Identity

CHAPTER 5, LESSON 5

NAME DATE

Serena Benny Mathew 04/09/2025

DIRECTIONS
Read the article below, then answer the following questions based on the information you just read.

What to Do if Your responsible for protecting consumers

Identity Is Stolen against identity theft. Its job is to
Ever wake up in the morning hoping to deal enforce laws regarding consumer
with a stolen identity? No? Me either. But it protection, investigate fraud claims, and
can happen to anyone—in fact, it’s happened help educate you about what steps you
to me. When ID theft happens, it could mean can take to protect yourself.
some weirdo’s using personal details like your • Consumer Financial Protection
Social Security number or bank account to do Bureau (CFPB): The CFPB is focused
anything from going on shopping sprees to on safeguarding you, as the consumer,
filing a tax return in your name. against any deceptive or fraudulent
Getting everything back to the way it was practices that might happen to you
can be intimidating—like a months-long effort by a company, specifically a financial
to climb over a mountain. How do you even institution.
begin to put things straight? As someone • State Attorney: Each state has an
who’s been through it, take it from me: You attorney general’s office, which includes
can get your life back. And we’re going to an identity protection division. They will
walk with you through some practical steps investigate and even take legal action on
to get that done. claims made within their specific state.
• Identity Theft Services: There are
Here to Help hundreds of companies that offer
Luckily, you don’t have to do this alone. There identity protection products and
are multiple groups and companies that’ll services. These are typically designed
help protect you from any possible fraud or to monitor your accounts and credit
walk with you if you experience fraud. records, alert you of potential fraud, and
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): possibly offer insurance in the event of
The FTC is the primary federal agency fraud.
This is a partial excerpt from What to Do if Your Identity Is Stolen by George Kamel (Ramsey Solutions, 2023).

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 Reclaiming Your Identity This is a partial excerpt from What to Do if Your Identity Is
Stolen by George Kamel (Ramsey Solutions, 2023).

Chapter 5, Lesson 5

These are all helpful resources to help you to get your return) or receiving a tax
through an experience with fraud, but what transcript you never requested
should you do first if you experience fraud?
Again, if one or more of those has come to
How to Know if Someone your attention, there are two key steps you
Stole Your Identity should take right now to see whether your
First things first. Having your identity stolen ID has been stolen:
isn’t always something that’s immediately 1. Check all bank and credit card
obvious. There are certain things to look for statements. That’s something you ought
if you have a sense that this might have hap- to be doing all the time anyway. But
pened to you. especially if you have a suspicion that
Lots of things could happen that would you’ve been a victim of ID theft, go over
strongly indicate somebody’s gotten ahold all the statements closely and carefully.
of your info and used it to do fraud. None 2. Run a free credit report on yourself.
of the following signs on their own would You’re entitled to one free report every
prove you’re a victim of theft (could just be an year from each credit agency (so that’s
error), but if you notice one or more of these, three free reports per year). This is a
it’s definitely time to check. (We’ll talk next quick and easy way to find ID theft.
about steps to check for ID theft.)
• Getting calls from debt collectors about Hopefully you’re not gonna find anything. But
accounts you didn’t open in case you do discover evidence of ID theft,
• A charge on your credit card statement don’t panic! At this point, the next logical step
you don’t recognize is to figure out how to prove that your identity
• Medical bills you don’t recall, or was actually stolen so you can prepare to get
medical denials you weren’t expecting your life back and start to recover.
• Paper bills no longer coming in the mail
• Your credit card statement listing a new How Can I Get My Life Back
account you don’t know After Identity Theft?
• A rising credit score even though you’ve Having your identity stolen is a serious viola-
initiated no new debt tion, and if there’s been a financial impact on
• A dipping credit score even though top of the ID theft, it can really get you down.
you’re current on all payments I understand this firsthand. It sucks.
• Being unexpectedly denied for a loan But I’m here to give you some hope for
• Having your tax return rejected (because what’s ahead, and some practical steps to
some thief already filed on your behalf get things back to normal. So keep this in

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 Reclaiming Your Identity This is a partial excerpt from What to Do if Your Identity Is
Stolen by George Kamel (Ramsey Solutions, 2023).

Chapter 5, Lesson 5

mind: You can get out of this mess and restore moving to a new home and your credit report
control of your personal information. Here’s needs to be checked.
what you need to do:
3. FILE A POLICE REPORT.
1. ASK FOR A FRAUD ALERT TO BE Since it is a crime to steal someone’s personal
PLACED ON YOUR CREDIT ACCOUNT. identity and use it to commit a fraudulent
If you discover you’ve been a victim of identity act, you should file a police report. Even if it
theft, contact one of the three main credit looks like the thief is operating online or in
bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) a different country, you should still contact
and have them place a fraud alert on your your local police department to file a report.
information. Once you’ve contacted one
agency, they’ll let the other two know. 4. FILE A REPORT WITH THE FEDERAL
Having a fraud alert in place is helpful if TRADE COMMISSION (FTC).
you were involved in a data breach or had When it comes to identity theft, time really is
your Social Security card, driver’s license, or money. Your next step is to make sure you’ve
bank account information stolen. If someone notified the Federal Trade Commission of your
tries to apply for a loan or new credit card stolen identity through their online service.
with your info, the credit bureau lets creditors If you report your identity theft to the
know an extra security check needs to happen FTC within two business days of discovering
to confirm the applicant’s identity. it, you will only be liable to pay $50 of any
unauthorized use of your bank and credit
2. PUT A FREEZE ON YOUR accounts (under federal law). The longer you
CREDIT REPORT WITH ALL leave it, the more that financial liability falls
THREE CREDIT BUREAUS. on your shoulders.
Putting a freeze on your credit report is dif- Once you’ve filed your report, you’ll be
ferent from a fraud alert because it cuts off able to put together your own recovery plan
anyone from getting access to your credit with their help, along with some assistance
report without your permission. With a credit in each step. Just get ready to buckle in for a
freeze, you’ll have to contact all three credit long journey.
bureaus individually, but it’s still free!
Once your credit report is frozen, the 5. CHECK YOUR BANK AND
credit bureaus can’t release your credit in- CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS
formation without your permission to lift the AND CREDIT REPORTS.
freeze, and you’ll have to do that either over Take some time to comb through your bank
the phone, online, or in writing. You’ll want account and credit card statements, along
to lift the freeze if you’re applying for a job or with your current credit report.

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 Reclaiming Your Identity This is a partial excerpt from What to Do if Your Identity Is
Stolen by George Kamel (Ramsey Solutions, 2023).

Chapter 5, Lesson 5

You can request your credit report for free you have to put your request in a physical
from each of the reporting agencies through letter to the debt collector. The FTC even
annualcreditreport.com once a year. Stagger provides sample letters for you. And if you’re
these so you can check one credit report every looking for extra peace of mind, send your
four months. Look at these documents and letter with a certified mail receipt so you can
flag anything that screams, “I didn’t open track when they’ve received it.
that account!” Now is the time to highlight
them to help your case. 7. CONTACT YOUR BANK’S
FRAUD DEPARTMENT.
6. GET ANY FRAUDULENT ACCOUNT Your bank has a fraud department, so call
RECORDS FROM DEBT COLLECTORS. to tell them what happened. They’ll let you
Don’t ignore any letters or calls you may know what steps to take regarding your
receive from debt collectors following an current bank account. They might even ad-
identity theft. Stay ahead of the game by in- vise you to close your accounts and open
forming them in writing of your identity being new ones if it means limiting the damage of
stolen. You should also give them a copy of the theft.
your FTC report to back it up.
Here’s what you can ask from debt col- 8. CONTACT YOUR UTILITY
lectors when you write to them: PROVIDER AND OTHER ACCOUNT
• Ask to see any information (from the FRAUD DEPARTMENTS.
telephone number used by the fraudster Fraudsters can use your information to set up
to open the fake account to copies anything from medical insurance to utilities
of application forms and statements in your name. I know—it’s ridiculous.
listing fraudulent transactions) they If any utility providers, credit card com-
might have on you resulting from the panies, loan specialists, debt collectors, or
identity theft. insurance companies are sending you bills
• Ask them to stop contacting you with for things you don’t actually owe, you need
collection notices that you don’t owe. to reach out to them ASAP and let them know
Let’s face it: No one likes hearing from your identity was stolen.
debt collectors—but especially not when Even if you haven’t received any bogus
it isn’t your fault in the first place! bills from your providers or credit card com-
panies, go ahead and contact them anyway.
Remember: You are within your rights to ob- Because if one of your accounts was hacked,
tain written information about that debt—but chances are, the others are also at risk.

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 Reclaiming Your Identity This is a partial excerpt from What to Do if Your Identity Is
Stolen by George Kamel (Ramsey Solutions, 2023).

Chapter 5, Lesson 5

9. CLOSE ANY FAKE ACCOUNTS THAT of State to report the theft and arrange a
WERE CREATED IN YOUR NAME. replacement.
Remember how you already combed through
your credit report and noted charges that 11. UPDATE YOUR PASSWORDS
weren’t yours? AND USERNAMES.
By now, you’ve contacted the three credit Now it’s time to update those usernames and
bureaus and the FTC, so it’s time to clean up passwords. Change any passwords linked
and close down any accounts that have been to accounts that were or could be affected
opened without your knowledge. by identity theft immediately. If you use the
Reach out to those companies’ fraud same password for every account you have,
departments (whether it’s a bank, utility it’s time to change them all.
company, or insurance provider) and shut Your passwords should never match
down all the accounts falsely opened in your or contain your name or date of birth—that
name. Use any FTC reference numbers on your just makes them easier to guess! Things like
identity theft report to back you up. “password0” and “abc123” just don’t cut it
anymore. I recommend that you use a combi-
10. REPORT IF YOUR PERSONAL nation of upper and lowercase letters, numbers
IDENTIFICATION WAS STOLEN. and special characters to keep it complicated
If identification like your Social Security card, and difficult for identity thieves to guess.
driver’s license, or passport is stolen, you
should contact the relevant agencies imme- 12. LOOK AT YOUR
diately so they’re aware of the theft and can RECOVERY OPTIONS.
start the process of replacing them: By now, you might be starting to realize this
• Social Security Card: Contact the whole recovery process can take a few months
Social Security Administration for a or even years, depending on how severe the
replacement online. If you suspect your damage is. That’s why it’s important to take
Social Security number has already been action as soon as you realize your identity
used fraudulently, contact the Office of has been stolen.
the Inspector General to report it. The hours involved in getting your identity
• Driver’s License: Contact your local back really are a huge mountain to climb on
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to your own. But it’s never too late to be pro-
report the theft and get a replacement. active. Start protecting yourself now so you
• Passport: Contact the U.S. Department never have to deal with this!

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 Reclaiming Your Identity
Chapter 5, Lesson 5

DIRECTIONS
Answer these questions based on your reading and be ready to share your answers with your class.

1. Since identity theft is not immediately obvious, what are some ways you can protect
yourself before it even happens?
Monitor financial statements regularly, use strong, unique passwords for online accounts, enable
two-factor authentication, be cautious with personal information, shred sensitive documents, and
consider credit monitoring or freezing services

2. What types of information should you protect to prevent identity theft?

Social Security number, financial account details, passwords, PINs, and sensitive identification
documents like passports or driver's licenses

3. Who should you notify if you find out your identity has been stolen?
Notify the financial institutions, the major credit bureaus, and law enforcement to report the theft
and mitigate further damage.

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 Reclaiming Your Identity
Chapter 5, Lesson 5

4. What are some consequences you have to deal with if you’re a victim of identity theft?
Financial losses, damaged credit scores, emotional stress, and the challenging process of restoring
their personal and financial records.

5. What agencies and companies can help protect you against fraud?
Organizations like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Identity Theft Resource Center, and credit
reporting agencies provide tools and assistance in safeguarding against fraud

6. How do these agencies and companies help protect you against fraud?
Monitoring transactions, offering identity theft protection, detecting suspicious activities, and
providing recovery assistance to restore identity and financial security

7. How can you take responsibility to help prevent identity theft?

Using strong passwords, monitoring financial accounts for unauthorized activity, and avoiding
sharing sensitive data on unsecured platforms

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 Reclaiming Your Identity
Chapter 5, Lesson 5

DIRECTIONS
Read the national identity theft checklist (https://www.identitytheft.gov/Steps) and answer the
following questions.

8. List the three steps you should take right away if you’re a victim of fraud and identity theft.
Notify financial institutions and freeze accounts immediately, file a theft report with the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC), and contact credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on the credit file

9. What three things do you need to include in your communication with the three
credit bureaus?
Full legal name, updated contact information such as address and phone number, and specific
details regarding the issue or request, including documentation to support claims.

10. How long does an extended fraud alert last?

7 years

11. What does a credit freeze do?

Restricts access to credit report, preventing lenders or creditors from opening new accounts in
someone's name without their consent.

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 Reclaiming Your Identity
CHAPTER 5, LESSON 5

DIRECTIONS
Read Texas’ Identity Theft Victim Kit (https://www2.texasattorneygeneral.gov/files/id_theft/IDTheft_kit.
pdf) and answer the following questions.

12. List out the six steps you should take if you’re a victim of fraud and identity theft.

Notify your financial institutions immediately, Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, File a report
with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Contact local law enforcement to file a police report,
Review and freeze your credit reports if necessary, and Monitor your accounts closely for further
fraudulent activity.

13. How does the ID Theft Affidavit help you resolve identity theft?

Reporting identity theft to creditors, law enforcement, and government agencies by providing a
standardized document to outline fraudulent activities and verifying claims

14. What are the two parts of completing the ID Theft Affidavit?

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and providing it to the affected creditors or businesses.

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