Social Security Number

[LPDBlueDevils]

my wife and I just got approved for a loan for our new house and we were talking to the lender today and come to find out that two other people are using my S.S. number, now thankfully no credit has been used by these individuals and I found a number I can call, but I won't be able to talk to them until tommorow. I was just wondering if any of you guys know of a way that I can fix this. Thanks!

[imported_elp6n]

1) Report this to each of the three credit reporting services. Put a fraud alert on your credit. You can make it so that you are contacted each time someone (yourself included) tries to open new credit under your SSN.
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp (note this is NOT freecreditreport.com - that site is a money making site and not the legit one).
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How do I request a "fraud alert" be placed on my file?
You have the right to ask that nationwide consumer credit reporting companies place "fraud alerts" in your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft. A fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you. It also may delay your ability to obtain credit. You may place a fraud alert in your file by calling just one of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. As soon as that agency processes your fraud alert, it will notify the other two, which then also must place fraud alerts in your file.

Equifax: 1-877-576-5734; http://www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742; http://www.experian.com/fraud
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; http://www.transunion.com

An initial fraud alert stays in your file for at least 90 days. An extended alert stays in your file for seven years. To place either of these alerts, a consumer credit reporting company will require you to provide appropriate proof of your identity, which may include your Social Security number. If you ask for an extended alert, you will have to provide an identity theft report. An identity theft report includes a copy of a report you have filed with a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency. For more detailed information about the identity theft report, visit http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

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You may have to contact the credit reporting companies frequently to renew the alert, unless you've filed a police report.


2) Report this to the social security administration. A report with them may be enough to file an extended alert.

Don't take this lightly. Even if these folks are using your number by mistake it could prove extremely detrimental to you to let it slide. You're fortunate that they've not used it and damaged your credit already - now the ball is in your court to prevent it.

[imported_elp6n]

I should add that at this point in time, it would be highly advisable to purchase identity theft insurance. You'd be surprised how many folks out there have had their credit tapped into and have had to use this insurance. You've already discovered you're at high risk.

This is not that "insurance" credit card companies try to sell you so that in the event of your death or loss of work your bill is paid.

Here's a pretty good description of what this type of insurance entails. It's from Travelers - a good company. There are also others to choose from.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Identity theft victims are not responsible for the debts incurred by their impostors, but they are stuck cleaning up the credit mess. Restoring your credit and your name is a slow, painstaking process. It means countless phone calls, letters and time away from work.

The aim of Travelers' identity fraud coverage is to help victims cope with the cleanup.

"With identity theft, once you find out about this, it's just the beginning," says Bob Nighan, vice president at Travelers. "There are a lot of out-of-pocket expenses that people incur in the cleanup process."

Identity Fraud Expense coverage can be added to any Travelers homeowners or rental policy for an additional $25 a year. It provides $15,000 worth of coverage and has a $100 deductible. It is currently available in 20 states.

The coverage includes:

Lost wages as a result of time taken off from work to deal with fraud, with coverage of as much as $500 per week for four weeks.
Notary and certified mailing costs for completing and delivering fraud affidavits.
Fees for reapplying for loans that were declined due to erroneous credit information.
Phone charges for calling merchants, financial institutions and law enforcement agents to discuss the fraud.
Some attorney fees.
Keeping the paycheck
Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego, says the strongest component of Travelers' insurance coverage is its coverage for lost wages.

"If you're self-employed or paid an hourly wage, I think the coverage is quite valuable because a certain amount of your salary is recouped," Givens says.

She says there is no telling just how long it will take an identity theft victim to restore his or her good name.

"I've heard of people who are sorting things out for months or even years," she says. "You might spend anywhere from six months to two years recovering from identity theft."

Lengthy forms, letters and long-distance phone calls eat up vacation days. Worse yet, some identity theft victims are forced to take unpaid time away from work.

"The most common complaint of identity theft victims is they have to take time off work," Givens says. "I can't tell you how many people have called and said 'I had to take a week off work.' "

Mari Frank, an identity theft victim and attorney who has written The Identity Theft Survival Kit, also cited the compensation for lost wages as the strongest aspect of Travelers' protection.

"This is helpful -- for time off work -- but probably not enough," Frank says.

Frank estimated that she spent 500 hours cleaning up her credit nightmare. Her out-of-pocket expenses were about $10,000.

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Purchase through most P&C insurance agents. It's extremely inexpensive.

[NotSoSilentBob]

Identity Theft insurance...what will they come up with next?

Insurance companies... [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whistle.gif[/img]