---

Benton County District Attorney's Office – Identity Theft

This portion of our website was created to give you information that can help you avoid becoming a victim of Identity Theft and to help you if you should become a victim of Identity Theft. This is not legal advice. Having said that, what is Identity Theft?

Oregon Law defines Identity Theft as follows: "A person commits the crime of identity theft if the person, with the intent to defraud, obtains, possesses, transfers, creates, utters or converts to the person's own use the personal identification of another person." ORS 165.800(1)

What Do I Do if I've Been a Victim of Identity Theft?

FIRST

Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus (the numbers are listed below). Tell them to flag your file with a fraud alert, including a statement that creditors should get your permission before opening any new accounts in your name. At the same time, ask the credit bureaus for copies of your credit reports - they must give you a free copy if you believe it to be inaccurate because of fraud. Review the report carefully, and notify the credit bureaus of any mistakes or fraudulent activity.

SECOND

Contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Ask to speak with someone in the security or fraud department, and tell them what has happened. Record who you spoke with and when; then ask them for the number of their direct line. Finally, follow up your conversation with a letter.

THIRD

File a report with your local law enforcement agency, or the agency located where the identity theft occurred. Keep copies of this report because some creditors may want proof.

Taking Control

Every case of Identity Theft is a little different. The actions needed to repair the damage will depend upon the way in which you were victimized. You may need to:

• Check for address changes with your local Postal Inspector.
• Close checking, savings, or credit accounts that were fraudulently accessed.
• Contact the Social Security Administration to check if your number has been used by an imposter to obtain employment.
• Contact the local DMV and verify that no fraudulent licenses have been issued in your name or with your Social Security Number.

Get Help

Repairing your good name (and credit) will take a lot of time and energy. It will be beneficial for you to get as much help and information as possible. There are links below to some websites that are great resources on identity theft. It may be a good idea to solicit the support and help of friends or family members. Resolving the effects of Identity Theft can be very stressful, so don't bear the burden alone.

How can I prevent this from happening again?

• Shared documents with personal information on them. Don't throw them away in the trash.
• Carry as little personal information on you as possible.
• Resist giving out your Social Security Number. Many firms that ask for it don't absolutely need it. Also, know who is asking for it and why!
• Keep important personal documents locked up.
• Consider getting a post office box or locked mail box.
• Order and inspect a copy of your credit report every year.

Personal Information

The first page of this section has information on personal information and how it is vulnerable.