# Identity stolen! What should I do.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity-stolen-what-should-i-do/345365>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 20, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity-stolen-what-should-i-do/345365 "2006-02-20T20:18:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity-stolen-what-should-i-do/345365/1 "2006-02-20T20:18:11Z")

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I went to do my taxes at a local preparation center, and in the process of trying to e-file was told that my SSN had already turned in. From what the tax guy told me it seems that someone is working under my identity, but he couldn’t tell me anything helpful. I came home and got my credit report off the computer, from which I didn’t see any errors.

What do I do now?

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity-stolen-what-should-i-do/345365/2 "2006-02-20T20:47:01Z")

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Contact the credit bureaus and the IRS. It’s possible someone simply transposed a couple of numbers of your SSN and your identity hasn’t really been stolen.

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**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identity-stolen-what-should-i-do/345365/3 "2006-02-20T21:26:07Z")

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call transUnion, Equifax, and Experian, get copies of your credit report and _put a watch_ on your credit. That means no credit will be issued unless you’re contacted via the phone number and/or address of record.

Go here: [http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html](http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html)