FTC Offers Tips for Protecting Your Credit Record

Following up on a public meeting held yesterday at the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC today issued a list of tips for consumers whose wallets have been lost or stolen to protect their credit records. The FTC warned that thieves sometimes use consumers’ credit cards and checking account numbers to establish new accounts in the consumers’ names, and then run up charges. Consumers may not learn about the fraudulent accounts for months, and it can take much longer to restablish their good credit records.

The list of tips is attached. The FTC meeting brought together a variety of groups to exchange information about consumer identity fraud. A transcript of the meeting will be available in the coming weeks.