Dealing with Identity Theft

Topics on this page

• What is identity theft?
• How to tell if someone has stolen your identity
• How might it impact me?
• What can I do?
• Federal Resources
• Maryland Resources
• Tax Identification Number Theft
• Preventing Identity Theft

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. This information can include your:

• name and address
• credit card number
• Social Security number
• bank account numbers
• medical insurance account numbers

There are many ways that someone can obtain your personal information.  Identity thieves can obtain personal information by:

• Stealing wallets and purses
• Stealing mail
• Completing a “change of address" form to divert your mail to another location
• “Dumpster diving" for documents with personal information
• “Phishing" or sending e-mails that appear to be from legitimate businesses asking for consumer's personal information
• “Skimming" or using special storage devices to steal your credit or debit card number when they process your card
• “Pretexting" or using false pretenses to obtain your information from your bank or phone company
•  Stealing files from businesses where they are a customer or employee, or by hacking into electronic files

Identity theft is the largest consumer complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) annually.  If you have been the victim of identity theft, it could mean someone has used your personal or financial information to:

• buy things with your credit cards 
• get new credit cards in your name
• obtain health care or medical products
• rent an apartment
• obtain utilities in your name, without your permission

In some cases, thieves may have re-routed your tax refund, or even impersonated you during contact with law enforcement.

Identity theft may also include someone using checks on your account. This could be from someone:

• Stealing your checkbook.
• Obtaining remote access to your checking account and transferring your money.
• Using debit card information skimmed from a merchant you purchased good from.

Identity theft can occur within families. Within families, the victims are most frequently children, seniors, and domestic violence survivors. This kind of identity theft makes reporting and recovery especially difficult for victims.

How To Tell if Someone Has Stolen Your Identity

Knowing the warning signs of identity theft can help you act quickly. Here are some key signs to watch for:

• Missing bills: If you stop receiving a regular bill, someone may have changed your mailing address to hide fraudulent activity.
• Unexpected charges: Look over your bills for purchases you didn’t make or new accounts you didn’t open—these can be red flags.
• Unauthorized bank withdrawals: Review your bank statements for transactions you don’t recognize.
• Suspicious credit report activity: Get copies of your credit reports and check for unfamiliar accounts or inquiries—they may indicate identity theft.
   

How might it impact me?

Identity theft can have serious and lasting effects. If someone steals your personal information, they might open credit cards, take out loans, or even commit crimes in your name. Here are some of the ways identity theft can impact you:

• Financial Loss: Thieves may use your accounts to make purchases or withdraw money, leaving you with unexpected debt and potential overdraft fees.
• Credit Damage: Fraudulent accounts and missed payments can harm your credit score, making it harder to get approved for loans, housing, or even employment.
• Emotional Stress: Dealing with identity theft can be frustrating and time-consuming. Many people feel overwhelmed trying to fix the damage and restore their financial reputation.
• Legal and Tax Issues: In some cases, stolen identities are used for illegal activities or tax fraud, which can lead to problems with law enforcement or the IRS.
• Medical Risks: If a thief uses your information to receive medical treatment, it could affect your medical records, potentially leading to dangerous errors in future care.

The sooner you detect identity theft, the easier it is to limit the damage. Monitoring your accounts and credit reports regularly can help protect you. 
 

What can I do?

1. Call the companies where you know fraud occurred

   • When you contact the companies, ask to speak to the fraud department. Explain that someone stole your identity and ask them to close or freeze your account so that no new charges can be made. You should also change any passwords and PINs for your accounts.

2. Place a fraud alert and get your credit reports

   • Place fraud alert by contacting one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). Placing a fraud alert is free and will make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. When you have an alert on your report, a business must verify your identity before it issues new credit in your name. You can renew the fraud alert after one year.
   • The credit bureau that you contact must tell the other two. You’ll get a letter from each credit bureau. It will confirm that they placed a fraud alert on your file. Credit Bureau Contact Info
   • Get your free credit reports from the three credit bureaus.  Review your reports and make note of any account or transaction you don’t recognize. You can use this information when you report the theft to the FTC and the police. 
   • NOTE: You can check your reports every week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
   • In Maryland consumers are allowed to place security freezes on their consumer credit reports to prevent new accounts from being opened in their names. Such a freeze enables the consumer to prevent anyone from looking at their credit file for the purpose of granting credit, unless the consumer chooses to allow a particular business to look at the information. Maryland law prohibits credit bureaus from charging a fee to freeze your credit report.
   • Read the Law: Md. Code, Commercial Law, §14-1212.1

3. Report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

   • Use the online form on IdentityTheft.gov or call 877-438-4338 to report the identity theft to the FTC. The information you provide will be used to create your Identity Theft Report and recovery plan. Your Identity Theft Report proves to businesses that someone stole your identity.

4. Report the crime to the police.

   • Identity theft is a crime.  If you know, or reasonably suspect, that you have been a victim of identity theft, contact your local police department and tell them someone stole your identity and that you need to file a report. You do not need to know the name of the person who used your identity. When filing a police report, make sure you have:
     • a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report
     • a government-issued ID with a photo
     • proof of your address (mortgage statement, rental agreement, or utilities bill)
     • any other proof you have of the theft (bills, IRS notices, debt collection letters, etc.)
   • Ask for a copy of the police report. The police report will be necessary to provide to creditors, banks, and agencies to demonstrate the identity theft.
   • Read the Law: Md. Code, Criminal Law §8-301, §8-304

5. Close new accounts opened in your name

   • Once you have an FTC Identity Theft Report, call the fraud department of each business where an account was opened and ask the business to close the account. The business may require you to send them a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report or complete a special dispute form. The FTC provides a sample letter that will help you dispute and close a fraudulent account that was opened in your name: Identity Theft Dispute Letter to a Company (for a new account)
   • Ask the business to send you a letter confirming that:
     • the fraudulent account isn’t yours;
     • you aren’t liable for it; and,
     • it was removed from your credit report.
   • Keep the confirmation letter. You may need to use it if the account appears on your credit report later.

6. Remove bogus charges from your accounts

   • Call the fraud department of each business where you find fraudulent charges. Tell them which charges on your account are fraudulent and ask the business to remove them. The business may require you to send them a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report or complete a special dispute form. The FTC provides a sample letter that will help you dispute charges or activity on your existing accounts: Identity Theft Dispute Letter to a Company (for an existing account).
   • Ask the business to send you a letter confirming the charges were removed from your account. Keep the confirmation letter. You may need to use it if the account appears on your credit report later.
   • NOTE: If checking accounts were misused, make sure only the checks you wrote or electronic transfers you authorized will clear.

7. Correct your credit report

   • If you have an FTC Identity Theft Report, credit bureaus must honor your request to remove fraudulent information from your credit report. Write to each of the three credit bureaus. Explain which information on your report is due to identity theft and ask them to block that information. Once information is blocked, companies can’t report the debt or try to collect it from you. 
   • The FTC provides a sample letter that will help remove inaccurate information on your credit report: Identity Theft Letter to a Credit Bureau. Include a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report and proof of your identity with the letter.
   • NOTE: If you don’t have an FTC Identity Theft Report, you still can dispute incorrect information in your credit file. However, it can take longer, and there’s no guarantee that the credit bureaus will remove the information.

IdentifyTheft.gov provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process. You can also visit the Identity Theft Resource Center to learn more.
 

Maryland Identity Theft Passport

The Attorney General's Identity Theft Unit has tools available to help victims of identity theft address their problems, and to help all consumers protect themselves from identity thieves. One of the tools offered is an Identity Theft Passport. An identity theft passport may help resolve financial issues caused by identity theft and may help prevent a wrongful arrest if a thief uses personal identifying information during the commission of a crime. It may also be presented to a creditor to aid in the investigation of fraudulent accounts or charges.

To obtain a Passport, you must fill out and submit an application to the Identity Theft Unit. You can download the Passport application, complete, and mail the application. You must include a copy of a police report regarding the identity theft, as well as a photocopy of your Maryland Driver's License or other State-issued identification card. 

The Identity Theft Unit will conduct a background check to verify your identity and the details of the crime. You should include supporting documents that you may have to assist with the verification. Supporting documentation may include court documents, financial account statements, or your credit report.

You can contact the Identity Theft Unit by calling (410) 576-6491 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
 

Tax Identification Number Theft

A Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is a number used to identify you to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) when filing your taxes. For individuals, this number may be your Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Tax identification theft happens when an individual steals your Taxpayer Identification Number and uses it to file taxes in your name to obtain your refund. Typically, the identity thief will file early in the tax season to attempt and claim the return first. You will likely not be aware that this has happened until you file your tax return and receive an alert from the IRS that two returns have been filed under the same Taxpayer Identification number. 

It is likely that you have been the victim of tax identification number theft if you receive a letter from the IRS stating that:

• Two returns have been filed under your Taxpayer Identification Number;
• You have a balance due, refund offset, or have had collection actions taken against you for a year that you didn’t file a tax return; or
• You receive information or a refund from the IRS for an employer that you did not work for.

If you receive correspondence from the IRS regarding any of the above matters, respond right away. Contact the individual listed on your letter and request an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit (Form 14039). For more information, visit the IRS webpage for a Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft, or call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4990.  
 

Preventing Identity Theft

You can take the following steps to prevent identity theft. 

• Do not carry your Social Security card, birth certificate, or passport on a regular basis. Store them somewhere secure, like a safe or lockbox, when you don’t need them.
• Shred documents with identifying information on them 
• Change your account passwords and PIN numbers frequently 
• Consider using a digital wallet for all your payment and identity cards. It is the safest way to pay, other than cash.
• Lock your electronic devices with a passcode, passphrase or biometric lock. Also, turn off lock screen notifications.
• Consider adding multi-factor authentication to your electronic accounts for added protection.

Review your credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies twice per year. Under federal and Maryland law, you are entitled to two free credit reports from each of the three credit reporting agencies each year. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. You can also request your credit report via mail through the Annual Credit Report Request Service

RECOMMENDATION: Stagger your requests so that you are reviewing a fresh report every two months.

You may also check with companies to opt out of having your information shared for promotional purposes. For more information on opting out of this type of information sharing, visit www.ftc.gov. 

You also have the option to opt out of information sharing with both financial institutions and credit card reporting agencies to reduce the amount of unsolicited credit and insurance offers you receive for either a period of 5 years or permanently. Their toll-free number is 888-567-8688 and their website is www.optoutprescreen.com.

For more information about what you can do to protect your identity, visit Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information, which offers offline and online security options as well as information on how to secure your Social Security number and devices.