So you’ve found yourself in the very unfortunate position of having your personal information tapped into by some computer hacker from a distant land (or some dumpster diving bum from around the block). Using your information, they are now filing false tax returns, so they can steal your money; they are applying for bogus credit cards in your name, so they can steal your money; and they are getting phony identification made up (along with bogus checks matching your checking account), so they can steal your money!
You have been made a victim, and don’t know what to do, or where to start; never fear, we’re going to walk you through the first important steps that you need to take Right Now.
First, try to calm down. Let the victimization thing go, it’s time for you to fight back. Now, do what you need to do (immediately) to get the IRS Form 14039 and mail or fax the form to the IRS. This form will let the IRS know that you’ve been hacked, so they can flag any filing with your info on it. Next, file an alert with the major credit reporting agencies. This won’t stop things from showing up, but it will give you a benchmark to go back to in your fight to clear your name (and credit) of the damage that the scammers do. Also, create an Identity Theft Report with the FTC at www.ftc.gov.
These will prove to be invaluable steps in the fight to regain your credit standing after your information has been hacked. They won’t completely stop the damage, but they will definitely limit your exposure to financial ruin.
