When Identity Thieves Strike

Instances of identity theft, data breaches, and data leaks are skyrocketing. In 2024 alone, the number of victim notices sent by the top five most frequently compromised companies exceeded 1,081,796,000. Most of us have received at least one such victim report or we know someone who has.

So, what can we do if we receive notice of a data breach, or if we have been scammed or believe someone has stolen our personal or financial information? The federal government has launched a terrific, user-friendly website that walks victims through the reporting and recovery process in great detail. The site, found at www.identitytheft.gov, covers topics like:

• Obtaining a free credit report and removing false information.
• Placing an extended fraud alert or freezing your credit with the credit reporting agencies.
• Filing a police report.
• Reporting the theft to the Federal Trade Commission.
• Removing fraudulent charges from accounts and dealing with debt collectors.
• Protecting Social Security numbers.
• Replacing government-issued IDs.

Identity theft is disheartening, stressful, and expensive. It cannot always be avoided, but you can take steps to guard against it. Please call the attorneys of Wright Beamer at 248.477.6300 for further guidance.