Notifying Your Creditors and Closing Fraudulent Accounts

Once you have put your credit bureaus on fraud alert, you should call someone in the fraud or security department of each involved company, and follow up with them in writing, including copies of any supporting documents you may have.

For any charges or debits on already existing accounts that you would like to challenge, you can ask your representative to send you dispute forms, or use Rocket Lawyer's Dispute Fraudulent Credit Card Transaction Form.  After filling out the form, send it back to the company's "billing inquiries" address, and not the address for sending payments.

If the thief opened up a new, unauthorized account, you have two options:

• You can choose to file a police report and give the company a copy of your police identity theft report. This will potentially offer you greater protection as the company will no longer be able to report fraudulent information to the credit bureaus. It is a good idea to use a Cover Letter to ask the company to close the account, and to notify the company that they are obligated to close the account when you provide the identity theft report.  
• To file a dispute with the company, and not with the police, you should ask your company if they accept ID Theft Affidavits. Otherwise, have the company send you their own fraud dispute forms.
• Remember to use a different PIN (Personal Identification Number) or password when opening a new account, and to avoid using readily available information, such as your mother's maiden name, the last four digits of your Social Security number, etc. Once the dispute has been resolved, you should also ask the company for a letter saying that they have closed the fraudulent or disputed account, and have discharged the debts. This is the best available proof you can have if those errors reappear on your account, or if you are contacted about it again.

Laws on this topic may vary from state to state. This content is not meant to provide you with complete information and it is not intended to be legal or tax advice. It is recommended that you consult with your own attorney, accountant or other advisor regarding your specific situation.