Letter to the Editor

Identity theft ranks as America's fastest growing crime and few of its perpetrators are ever caught. To minimize the damage to you and your credit there are several steps you can take to act quickly if you think you are a victim of this crime.

To avoid further damage, file a police report as soon as possible. Then prepare an Identity Theft Affidavit for businesses that opened fraudulent accounts and attach a copy of the police report to each. You will also want to notify the three national credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit report.

A copy of the Identity Theft Affidavit with instructions is available from the ________ Bar Association. Please call XXX-XXX-XXXX or email __________@________.org for your copy.

The three national credit bureaus are:

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-525-6285
www.equifax.com

Experian
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com

TransUnion Corp.
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
1-800-680-7289
www.transunion.com

Make sure you read and verify your credit card and bank statements, following the steps outlined above if you spot discrepancies. Your fast action can keep possible damage to a minimum. Further information on what to do if you think you're a victim of identity theft is available from the American Bar Association at www.abanet.org/rppt/publications/ereport/2006/1/lax.shtml.

Note to Bar Leaders: The Identity Theft Affidavit is available by clicking here. [www.abanet.org/buslaw/mo/premium-cl/programs/ann02/27/tab18.pdf]

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© 2007 American Bar Association