Persons Theft

Go to your local police office with: Tell the police someone stole your identity and you need to file a report.

Under California law, you can report identity theft to your local police department. Ask the police to issue a police report of identity theft. Give the police as much information on the theft as possible. One way to do this is to provide copies of your credit reports showing the items related to identity theft.

Theft of financial identity is a criminal act in Massachusetts punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and/or up to two and a half years in jail and restitution of financial loss to the victim.

Identity thieves can strike even after death. An identity thief's use of a deceased person's Social Security number may create problems for family members.The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains a national file of reported deaths for the purpose of paying appropriate benefits.

Limit the amount of personal information you share about the deceased in newspaper and online obituaries. Notify the Social Security Administration of the death. Send the IRS a copy of the death certificate so that the agency can note that the person is deceased.

Chelsea, MA 02150, (857) 386-2000. You can also file a report on their Internet Crime Complaint Center. Social Security Administration: To report the fraudulent use of your Social Security number, you should contact the Office of the Inspector General's Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 and follow up in writing.

Identity thieves can also obtain your personal information by stealing your wallet or purse. When this occurs, we recommend that you immediately contact credit card companies, bank, and credit bureaus to let them know of your situation.

For joint accounts, remove the deceased's name. Report the death to Social Security by calling 800-772-1213. Contact the department of motor vehicles to cancel the deceased's driver's license, to prevent duplicates from being issued to fraudsters.