 TITLE: What Is Credit Fraud? CONTENT: What to Do if You Believe You're a Credit Fraud Victim\n------------------------------------------------------\nIf you believe unauthorized credit activity has been committed in your name (or in the names of your minor children), it's important to report the crime to appropriate authorities as quickly as you can. Do the following as soon as possible:\n*   Contact the lender in question immediately to get a better handle on the situation. If fraudulent activity does appear to have occurred, advise the lender to begin an investigation, and cooperate with them as needed.\n*   Report the suspected crime to law enforcement immediately so they can begin investigating. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's IdentityTheft.gov website is a great place to start; it can help you find the law enforcement organizations with jurisdiction over different types of credit fraud and other related financial crimes.\n*   Consider taking action to secure your credit reports at the three national credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax), to make it more difficult for fraudsters to apply for and secure credit in your name:\n    *   Adding a fraud alert to your credit reports instructs creditors to confirm your identity before processing credit applications received in your name.\n    *   Applying a security freeze to your credit file limits access to your credit information.\nCredit alerts and security freezes have different advantages and drawbacks, so compare them before deciding which is better for you.\nCredit fraud is an unfortunate occurrence that affects hundreds of thousands of people every year and causes consumers and businesses alike to lose money. Credit fraud is a persistent nuisance that's unlikely to disappear anytime soon, but safeguarding personal data, staying alert to the possibility of unauthorized credit activity, and reporting suspicious activity as soon as you notice it can help you avoid major grief at the hands of credit fraudsters. END