WASHINGTON—Following 330,000 complaints last year from consumers who were victims of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission has launched website that not only helps consumers report this crime, but also recover from it.
The FTC has introduced IdentityTheft.gov, a website that in addition to accepting fraud reports, provides an interactive checklist that walks people through the recovery process and helps them understand which recovery steps should be taken upon learning their identity has been stolen, the FTC explained in a release.
The site also provides sample letters and other resources. In addition, the site offers specialized tips for specific forms of identity theft, including tax-related and medical identity theft. The site shares advice for people who have been notified that their personal information was exposed in a data breach. Identity theft has been the top consumer complaint reported to the FTC for the past 15 years.
A Spanish version of the site is also available at RobodeIdentidad.gov.