Question
My wife recently found out while starting a new checking account that someone in Texas (we live in Alabama) has used my S.S. number, at a bank. What should I do?
Answer
This may be a case of identity fraud. Notify the local police and see if your state has an attrney gereral's office with a task force on this.
Answer
Yes, by all means contact the police dept or FBI, as this may in fact be a case of "idenity theft". But first, try to rule out that somebody else has used your wife's SSN because of a "typo" (I see this quite often). You & your wife should contact the credit bureaus first, and advise that you think that you SSN has been stolen. They can check your CBR and see if other accounts have been opened, etc., and advise you accordingly. You may then want to get copies of her credit reports and dispute itmes, file a fraud claim with the credit bureaus, etc. If there is evidence that her SSN has been used to open other accounts and obtain credit, then you'll want to contact law enforcement. DON'T WAIT!