Possible identity theft: advice?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I was checking my credit card account balance on the bank’s website this morning, and I noticed a second account listed. I didn’t recognize the card and I haven’t applied for a new account lately, so I called the bank. They confirmed that card was applied for several days ago using my name, my social security number, a valid previous address (in-state), and a phone number I had never seen before (from a different state, across the country). The card had not yet been activated so there was no activity on it.

I had the account cancelled. I called Equifax and had them place a 90-day fraud alert on my credit report. Then I checked my credit report online; the inquiry from several days ago was on it, but there was no other recent activity that looked out of place. I filed an identity theft report with the FTC listing everything I know about what happened.

As far as I can tell, there has been no fraudulent activity in any of my other credit card/savings/checking accounts. Just the attempt to apply for a new credit card. And as it happens, the previous address that was used is my parents’ house, and they still live there, so I’ll be able to obtain the activation paperwork when it arrives.

What I am wondering is:

[ul]
[li]How does this scam work? The person who applied for this card wouldn’t have been able to use it without intercepting the activation paperwork that they had sent to my previous address. But the contact phone number is from a different state far away. Is the phone number bogus? Or did they need to use a pseudo-legit address for some reason, and the plan was to finagle the credit card company into activating the card some other way?[/li][li]Some person somewhere has their hands on (at least) my name, my social security number, and a valid previous address. What else can I do to protect myself from further fraud attempts? Should/can I file a police report, even though nothing was actually stolen from me? Will the police be able to use the phone number to possibly track down and apprehend this person?[/li][/ul]

2

The Secret Service manages something called The Electronic Crimes Task Force. I think you can make a report with them, directly, too.

Definately file a police report, as well. And ask them, or your bank, what else you should do to protect yourself.

3

Are you in a state where you can freeze your credit?

4

It could be that the perpetrator is someone who has access to your parents mail, possibly even someone you know.