It is important to regularly review your credit reports from each of the three credit bureaus. Each report will look different and may contain different information.  Each of the three credit bureaus offers a free annual credit report along with valuable information about your credit found on the Annual Credit Report Website.

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If you discover any incorrect or fraudulent information on your credit report, you should dispute it with the credit bureau directly. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has information about how to dispute errors on credit reports for more information visit the FTC site. 

Contacting the Credit Bureaus

Contact the three consumer credit bureaus and put a fraud alert or credit freeze on your name and Social Security number (SSN). It may be an automated system, so you may not talk to a live person and you will have to enter your SSN and date of birth.

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Phone:

• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

• Experian: 1-888-397-3742

• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

Online:

• Equifax 

• Experian 

• TransUnion 

As a victim of ID Theft, there are certain rights protected by the federal government including the right to place a credit freeze or fraud alert on your credit. Placing a credit freeze or fraud alert does not hurt your credit score.

Please see the different options below: 

Credit Freeze

Purpose: No one including you, will be able to open a new credit account. You may unfreeze if you want new credit. 

Who: Anyone can freeze their credit report.

Duration/Cost: Lasts until you remove it and is free. 

How: Contact each of the three credit bureaus. 

Fraud Alert

Purpose: Requires verification of identity when getting new credit.

Who: Anyone who suspects identity theft. 

Duration/Cost: One year and is free. 

How: Contact any one of the three credit bureaus, you don't have to contact all three. 

Extended Fraud Alert

Purpose: Requires verification of identity when getting new credit.

Who: Requires FTC identity theft report or proof of a police report. 

Duration/Cost: Seven years and is free. 

How: Contact any one of the three credit bureaus, you don't have to contact all three. 

Active duty Alert

Purpose: Requires verification of identity when getting new credit.

Who: Active duty service members. 

Duration/Cost: one year, can renew and is free. 

How: Contact any one of the three credit bureaus, you don't have to contact all three. 

Lost or Stolen Identification documents

Driver License or Identification card

• If you have reason to believe your identification card or driver license was stolen, you may report that to your local law enforcement agency and visit the Colorado  DMV   Lost/Stolen Driver License, Permit or ID Card page.

• If you have reason to believe that your identification card or driver license number is being misused you can request a new identification/driver license number. You will need to do the following:

  • File a police report with your, local law enforcement agency

  • Download and complete the Affidavit of Identity Theft form.

  • Have your signature notarized.

  • Do not mail, email or fax - you must bring these documents to any Colorado Driver License office.

Passport

• Report a lost or stolen passport, including scammers asking for a photo of your passport to the US Department of State.

Unemployment Fraud

If you have received a ReliaCard or a notice about your unemployment claim, but you have not applied for this benefit, you are a victim of Unemployment Fraud and Identity Theft. There are immediate steps that you may take to address this.

Step 1: 

Report the fraudulent claim by going to the Colorado Department of Labor.

Click on "Report ID Theft"

Click on "I'm an Individual Reporting Identity Theft"

Enter your email address

For type of Fraud, Click on "My identity was used to file an unemployment claim or I have received a Reliacard(s) in someone else's name"

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**This process will report the fraud to the proper investigators for the State of Colorado.

Step 2: 

If you received a U.S. Bank Reliacard for Colorado unemployment benefits but did not file a claim, fill out the U.S Bank Form online or contact U.S. Bank immediately at 1-855-279-1678. Tell them that a fraudulent unemployment claim was filed using your information, and ask them to deactivate the card.

Step 3: 

***This step is only required IF you receive IRS tax documents regarding unemployment wages***

If you have received a 1099-G document from the Colorado Department of Labor Employment and did not file for unemployment benefits please report to CDLE. 

If you have received tax documents from the IRS regarding unemployment wages that are fraudulent please complete IRS Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit. Send it to the IRS and keep a copy to submit with your State and Federal Taxes.