by Glen Howard

Created on: January 27, 2009

Are you a victim of identity theft? Has someone used your name, social security number or credit card number to commit fraud? Has someone opened a telephone account in your name without paying the bills? Have they opened a loan account in your name without repaying? Have persons created counterfeit checks in your name? Has someone duplicated your ATM card and made electronic withdrawals in your name? Has someone used your name to get utility services for which they do not pay? Has someone filed a fraudulent tax return with the Government using your personal information? Has someone filed for bankruptcy in your name? Possibly you had been arrested for one or another of these crimes committed by an identity thief?

You are not alone. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States estimates that approximately 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.

Identity theft is thus a very serious matter, which needs to be corrected swiftly and decisively. You may have become aware of it after much damage had been done to your reputation. Maybe not much damage has been done yet. Whatever the case, you need to move speedily to ensure that this crisis doesn't get worse, but ends. While some victims maybe able to resolve their problems quickly, others will have to spend huge sums of money and many days to repair the damage to their reputation. You may have to bear the consequences for a while. Possibly, you have difficulties being recommended for a job or you have been denied another loan due to negative credit reports.

Don't worry too much. National and local support and assistance for identity theft victims is real and highly effective. Listed below are the most important and decisive actions that you should take to effectively end the crisis. Included are the organizations at the fore-front of the battle against identity theft with broad-based support for victims, chiefly the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/, of the United States:

File a Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (for all types of identity theft).

You can file a complaint with the FTC using their online complaint form at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. You may call their Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free at: 1-877- 438-4338; or you may write to Identity Theft Clearing house, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.

By sharing your identity theft complaint with the FTC, they are better able to assist

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