What can be done if someone has your social security # & opens accounts in your name without permission?

Question

Someone I know has a family member who has their social security number and calls life insurance, disability companies, loan companies all kinds of companies and as if they were that person, they some how sign them up for all kinds of things and they have a private post office box where they get all of this persons " mail" sent to where they open it and correspond with these companies with.

Law enforcement didn't seem to care since the person doing it = a relative for some reason that makes it o.k . as far as they're concerned, but this person is a new college student and has had MAJOR damage done to their life and is nearly bankrupt.

Answer 1

call ss now.

Answer 2

It sounds like identity theft...  File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission

Answer 3

The Federal Trade Commission has steps to help repair identify theft. ID theft has happened to me and it's a huuge hassle.

1) Call your police and file a theft report.

1b) Go to FTC's website and fill out an ID theft report.

1c) Keep *extremely detailed and meticulous* written documentation of everything lost as a result of the ID theft, including time and money. Start this record immediately.

2) Notify your banks and credit cards. They'll probably cancel your cards and send you new ones with new numbers.

3) Contact one (or all three) credit unions Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and have them place a fraud alert on your file. This will stop new credit requests without your permission, and cause them to notify you if any new requests for credit are made. Also by law, if you contact one and request a fraud alert on your file, they must contact the other two and have them place similar alerts.

4) As a victim of ID theft you are entitled to a copy of your credit report. Request it from all three credit unions and revise it for anything that you're not responsible for. It's a hassle, but you must submit all complaints in writing to the credit unions to have them removed. Furthermore, you must contact the companies and have them cancel everything and refund it.

5) Change all your passwords and security questions.

6) If the thief is a parent, close your bank account or change accounts to a new one where the parent is not authorized to make any withdrawals. If they say you're too young and need a parent or cosigner tell them you're an ID theft victim and see what they can do to help you.

Most companies realize ID theft is a crime and will not hold you financially responsible, so the biggest investment necessary is time to repair all the damage. Good luck!