Identity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses your personally identifiable information such as your name, Social Security number or credit card number. Identity thieves may rent an apartment, obtain a credit card, take out a loan or establish a telephone account in your name. You may not find out about a theft until you review your credit report, notice charges on your credit card that you did not make or until you are contacted by a debt collector.

To learn how to protect yourself from identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft website at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/.

What are the steps I should take if I'm a victim of identity theft?
If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four steps immediately, and keep detailed records of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your credit reports often.
2. Close the accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Visit https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ for more information.
4. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

More information about these steps can be found at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html.