Free Credit Report
Sites to Search for More Information
You are entitled to receive a free credit report
from each of the credit reporting agencies once
per year. To request a copy of your free credit
report, call 1-877-322-8228 or visit:
www.Consumer.gov/
www.AG.State.oh.us
www.FTC.gov
www.AnnualReport.com
If you’ve already used your free credit report for
the year, you may still contact any of the three
credit reporting agencies to request a copy for a
small fee.
Experian
1-888-397-3742
www.Experian.com
Equifax
1-800-525-6285
www.Equifax.com
TransUnion
1-800-680-7289
www.TUC.com
Information for Your Record
Case Report Number:
Officer’s Name:
Investigator’s Name:
Notes
A guide to help
If you do not immediately find any fraudulent activity on your other accounts, you should continue
to actively monitor them. The credit agencies can
place a 90-day fraud alert or a credit freeze on
your credit report. Contact each agency directly
for directions on doing so.
If you learn of fraudulent use after making the initial report of a theft of items that contain personal
identifiers you will need to contact the officer to
whom you originally reported the incident.
PREVENT, PROTECT, and RECOVER
from the crime of Identity Theft.
Emergencies
Non-Emergency
9-1-1
(330) 672-2212
Kent State University
Police Services
Department of Public Safety
Stockdale Building
530 E. Summit St., Kent OH 44242
www.kent.edu/police
Serving the University since 1937
Introduction
Identity Theft is a financial crime involving the unauthorized use of personal and identifying information for the purpose of committing financial
fraud. It can include a number of crimes from the
unauthorized use of a credit card to the complete
takeover of another person’s name and financial
accounts.
An identity thief may use someone’s personal
identifiers to obtain credit cards, open checking
accounts, apply for loans, rent or purchase vehicles or residences, and establish services with
utility or other companies.
The crime of identity theft is defined in the Ohio
Revised Criminal Code, section 2913.49. In
short, it states that a victim has had their personal
identifying information fraudulently used by another person to obtain credit, property, or services.
Personal identifying information includes, but is
not limited to the following:
 Name
 Birth Date
 Driver’s License Number
 Social Security Number
 Financial Account Number
 Credit Card Number
 Password
 Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Preventing Identity Theft
Protect your mail by removing it from the mailbox
as soon as possible. Stop mail delivery if you are
unable to pick up your mail for an extended period
of time, such as during a vacation. If you believe
your mail has been opened or tampered with notify the sender immediately and be aware of phone
calls or e-mails requesting you to verify your credit numbers, bank accounts, or other personal
identifiers.
Protect your wallet and purse and never leave
them unattended. Carefully examine your bills to
ensure that all balances and receipts are accurate
and there is no activity that you cannot account
for.
If you use a computer, install security software
that encrypts information that is sent via e-mail.
Use a firewall to help protect your computer. Use
effective passwords for on-line accounts, with a
combination of:
 Upper and Lowercase Words
 Numbers
 Special Characters (ex: #, %, &, @, etc.)
You can opt out of pre-approved credit card offers
by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
The three major credit card companies use the
same toll free number to allow consumers to opt
out of pre-approved credit card offers.
Call the police. A police report can help you when
dealing with the financial organizations you’ll be
reporting to. Financial crimes are complex and
complicated investigations.
You can assist the investigator (and yourself) by
collecting all the necessary information and even
preparing an outline with the timeline of events
involved in your identity theft case.
Information to Provide
The Investigator will need you to provide the following information:
 Financial / Credit Account Numbers that have
been fraudulently used or opened.
 Type of Account.
 Name and Contact Information of the Financial Institution.
 Dates of Usage or Opening (if available).
 Locations of Usage or Opening (if available)
Don’ts
Do not give out personal information in response
to unsolicited offers by phone, mail, internet, or in
person. Criminals pose as legitimate business
people, charity workers, and even law enforcement officers in order to gain your trust.
Do not use social security numbers unless it is
necessary. This includes on your drivers license
and checks. Ohio, and many other states provide
the option to remove the social security number
from your driver license.
What To Do If You’re a Victim
You’ll need to take certain steps to protect yourself and minimize the consequences. Correcting
the damage and restoring your credit rating and
good name can be a tedious and time-consuming
process.
Contact the investigator with any updated information you receive, especially concerning fraudulent activity on other accounts.
You should immediately report the theft to your
financial institutions and/or credit card companies.