In addition to these steps, there are a couple more things you should do while going through the process of reporting identity theft and cleaning up the damages done.
Keep records of everything. As soon as you believe that your identity has been stolen, start creating a record of the theft and all of the actions that you take to clear up the issue. Keep copies of your credit and banking statements from before the identity theft, as well as any copies that reflect damages done after the theft. Keep copies of any tax-related documents that show identity theft.
It’s also vitally important that you keep records of everyone that you speak to at every company or agency that you deal with, along with details of the conversations. Record the date and time, the name of the person you speak with, and details of the conversation. And keep all of these records together in a communication log.
Include copies of every report that you file, copies of fraud alerts that you place on your credit report, and copies of the credit report. The more comprehensive your paper trail is, the better. You may find yourself in the position of having to prove, repeatedly, that your identity has been compromised. The more documents you have to make that case, the easier it will be for you to find people to help you through the process.
Identity theft is not a simple crime. It has no borders, and even the laws surrounding how it should be handled are still murky. Act quickly, but expect to put a lot of time and effort into cleaning up any damages done by identity thieves. The faster you start fighting the problem, the less damage that will be done.