If you have been scammed or are a victim of credit card fraud, notify all credit card companies and tell them to issue you a new card; contact the three major credit bureaus and request that they put a fraud alert on your credit report. The companies and their contact numbers are Equifax, 800-525-6285; Experian, 888-397-3742; and TransUnion, 800-680-7289.

You should also contact your local law enforcement agency. Complaints can be filed as well by calling 877-IDTHEFT or logging on to the FTC Web site at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.

Senior fraud help line: 1-800-243-5377

Identity theft hot line: 866-999-5630

Prevent theft & get assistence when you need it.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car.  The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. The same goes if you become ill or need help.

Applications or other transaction records related to the theft of your identity may help you prove that you are a victim. For example, you may be able to show that the signature on an application is not yours. These documents also may contain information about the identity thief that is valuable to law enforcement. By law, companies must give you a copy of the application or other business transaction records relating to your identity theft if you submit your request in writing. Be sure to ask the company representative where you should mail your request. Companies must provide these records at no charge to you within 30 days of receipt of your request and your supporting documents. You also may give permission to any law enforcement agency to get these records, or ask in your written request that a copy of these records be sent to a particular law enforcement officer.

The company can ask you for proof of your identity. This may be a photocopy of a government-issued ID card, the same type of information the identity thief used to open or access the account, or the type of information the company usually requests from applicants or customers, and a police report and a completed affidavit, which may be the ID Theft Affidavit or the company's own affidavit.

Should I apply for a new Social Security number?

Under certain circumstances, the Social Security Administration may issue you a new Social Security number—at your request—if, after trying to resolve the problems brought on by identity theft, you continue to experience problems. Consider this option carefully. A new Social Security number may not resolve your identity theft problems, and may actually create new problems. For example, a new Social Security number does not necessarily ensure a new credit record because credit bureaus may combine the credit records from your old Social Security number with those from your new Social Security number. Even when the old credit information is not associated with your new Social Security number, the absence of any credit history under your new Social Security number may make it more difficult for you to get credit. And finally, there's no guarantee that a new Social Security number wouldn't also be misused by an identity thief