Identity Theft

Identity thieves seek to obtain personal information about you so they can use your financial identity. They look for your social security number, birth information, credit card numbers, and other data to take your identity. Victims are often not aware that there is a problem until they receive bills for unauthorized purchases.

If you suspect that someone has stolen your identity, you should file a police report and contact credit and bank fraud agencies as described below.

Make a police report over the phone

Call the non-emergency number for the police, (503) 823-3333, to report your suspicion.

Alert the credit-reporting agency fraud units

Contact the fraud units of the 3 major credit-reporting agencies to place a fraud alert on your accounts.

Equifax P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 (800) 252-6285

Experian P.O. Box 9532 Allen, TX 75013 (888) 397-3742

TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Division P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 (800) 680-7289

Contact your bank and creditors

Cancel any account that is the subject of the fraud or identity theft.

File a complaint with the FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a hotline that provides valuable information. The FTC does not prosecute identify theft cases. You can find the FTC online at www.ftc.gov or call toll free (877) ID-THEFT.