Finding accounts on your credit reports that do not belong to you can be very troubling. But there are ways to fix it.

First off, double check your facts. Make a list off all the accounts you don’t recognize and contact the creditor. If they do not have that account in your name, then it may be a “file merger error”. These errors are easy to correct by contacting the credit bureaus. If you are enrolled with us we will do this for you and it is generally resolved within 30 days.

If it is confirmed by the creditor that the account is in your name and you are sure it is not yours, immediate action must be taken on your part. Take the three credit reports from the three credit bureaus and go to the police and fill out an identity theft report. This must be sent to the credit bureaus along with a signed statement. This statement should include all the accounts in question and that they were not taken out by you. Also forms of identification should be included. After receipt of these documents the items in question will be blocked from reporting and an investigation will be undertaken.

Once you have been a victim of identity theft you need to make sure it does not happen again. It is hard but not impossible to recover from identity theft. Unfortunately, it is you, the victim who has to deal with the fallout. Credit monitoring is an easy way to prevent this from recurring. All three credit bureaus offer this service for a small fee.