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Book Description

A clear path out of the nightmare.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and in many cases the victim has no knowledge of the theft until the situation is dire. Author Mari J. Frank, an attorney and advocate for victims of identity theft, takes the reader through every step necessary to reclaim their identity and wipe the records of theft off of all reports.

*Covers every kind of fraud including bank, credit card, loans, insurance, medical, government, tax, professional license, business, employer, and online

*A step by step process to reclaiming identity and wiping the records of theft off all reports

Table of Contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Dedication
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Foreword
  5. Introduction
  6. Part 1 - First Steps
    1. Chapter 1 - You Think You’re a Victim
      1. What Is Identity Theft?
      2. What Happens When Your Identity Is Stolen
      3. How to Confirm the Theft
      4. Your Rights as a Victim
    2. Chapter 2 - First Things First
      1. What You’re Facing—But Don’t Panic
      2. Get Organized
      3. How to Handle Communications
    3. Chapter 3 - Your Recovery Strategy
      1. Get the Documentation
      2. Create a Plan of Attack
      3. Creating the Criminal Paper Trail
  7. Part 2 - Restore Your Finances
    1. Chapter 4 - Credit Reports
      1. The Mother of All Restoration Tools
      2. Understanding What’s on Credit Reports
      3. Warning Signs of Trouble
      4. Filing Fraud Complaints
    2. Chapter 5 - Credit Cards
      1. Credit-Card Rights
      2. Credit Card Account-Takeover Fraud
      3. Credit-Card Application Fraud
    3. Chapter 6 - Other Fraud on Credit Reports
      1. Non-Credit Card Fraud on Your Credit Report
      2. Falsified Loans
      3. Department Stores
      4. Collection Agencies
    4. Chapter 7 - Take It to the Financial Institution
      1. Check and Electronic Fraud
      2. Debit-Card Danger
      3. Money Order and Bank Check Fraud
      4. Fraudulent New Bank Accounts
      5. Investment Fraud
    5. Chapter 8 - Discovering Hidden Fraudulent Accounts
      1. Look for the Sneaky Signs
      2. Detecting Utility and Telephone Fraud
      3. Choicepoint: Another Source of Information
      4. Special Cases
  8. Part 3 - The Innocent and Betrayals
    1. Chapter 9 - Child Identity Theft
      1. Children Are Prime Targets
      2. How Could It Happen?
      3. Signs of Child ID Theft
      4. Tricks of Child Identity Recovery
      5. Children and Social Security Numbers
      6. When to Involve a Lawyer
      7. Handling the Emotional Hurt
    2. Chapter 10 - Even the Deceased Can Be Victims
      1. Knowing the Deceased Is Targeted
      2. Unique Problems
      3. Clearing the Name and Protecting the Estate
    3. Chapter 11 - Family and Friend Fakes
      1. When Family Members and Friends Steal
      2. Challenges of Familiar ID Theft
      3. Handling Familiar ID Theft
      4. Legal Help
      5. Spousal Identity Theft
  9. Part 4 - Square Away the Bureaucracies
    1. Chapter 12 - Dealing with the Government
      1. Dealing with Government IDS
      2. IRS and State Tax Revenue Agencies
      3. Government-Benefits Fraud
    2. Chapter 13 - Workplace Identity Theft
      1. Theft of Employee Identities
      2. ID Theft of Businesses
    3. Chapter 14 - Prescription for Recovery
      1. Medical Identity Theft: The Big Picture
      2. Get the Evidence
      3. Clear Your Name
  10. Part 5 - Where the Going Gets Tough
    1. Chapter 15 - When You Become the Criminal
      1. You’re Put on the Spot
      2. Dealing with Criminal Charges
      3. Cleaning Up Your Record
    2. Chapter 16 - Facing a Suit or Lien
      1. Get the Lay of the Land
      2. Personal Civil Cases
      3. Tax Liens
      4. Bankruptcy
    3. Chapter 17 - Cyber Identity Theft
      1. Cyber Identity Theft Is Real
      2. Going to the Source
      3. Investigating the Fraud
      4. Additional Help
    4. Chapter 18 - If Worse Comes to Worst
      1. Making Them Listen
      2. Getting Free Resources and Help
      3. Escalating the Discussion
      4. Commercial Identity-Theft Prevention and Rehabilitation
      5. When Overwhelmed, Get Legal Help
      6. Negotiation, Mediation, or a Lawsuit
      7. Publicly Exposing Bad Behavior
      8. Calling and Writing Legislators
      9. Don’t Get Mad, Get Busy
    5. Chapter 19 - After the Storm
      1. If They Catch the Thief
      2. Protect Yourself
  11. Appendix - Glossary
  12. Appendix - Other Resources
    1. Non-Profit Identity Theft Resources
    2. Government Identity Theft Resources
    3. Check-Verification/Check-Guarantee Firms
    4. Consumer Reports: Information Brokers
    5. Credit Card Companies
    6. Credit Reporting Bureaus
    7. Legal Resources
  13. Index
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