Customer Know-How: The Ins and Outs of your Credit

If you're concerned that you might have been a victim of phishing or pharming, there are several important steps you should take:
•Contact your bank immediately to inform them of the situation.
•Proactively monitor your credit file to ensure that no further fraud occurs.
•Protect your computer through firewalls, encryption, and antivirus software to prevent further damage.
•Take future precautions by educating yourself against such fraudulent scams.

Report the fraudulent site or company to a repository like www.antiphishing.org in order to help others avoid similar scams. Place a fraud alert with Equifax or one of the other nationwide credit reporting agencies. An initial fraud alert will stay on your credit file for 90 days and indicates to anyone requesting your credit file that you suspect you are a victim of fraud. To place a fraud alert with Equifax, all you have to do is call 1-888-766-0008 or write to Equifax Consumer Fraud Division, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374. Equifax works with the other two credit reporting agencies, Experian and TransUnion, so that when you request an alert through Equifax, your request is automatically sent to the other two agencies. When you place a fraud alert, you are entitled to a free credit file disclosure.