Recovering Your Identity. Advice for victims of identity crime

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1 Recovering Your Identity Advice for victims of identity crime

2 How will you know your identity has been stolen? Identity crime is unfortunately very common. Around 1 in 5 Australians have been a victim at some stage. You may not know you are a victim for a long time. However, if you receive calls from debt collectors, are denied credit, receive credit cards or other goods you didn t order or see any unfamiliar charges, you may be a victim. What should you do? If you suspect you are a victim of identity crime, you should take the following steps to minimise any financial or other damages. The quicker you act, the more likely you are to avoid problems. However, even if you do follow all these steps you may not be able to prevent all problems.

3 1. Report it to the police All incidents of identity crime should be reported to local police ( in Victoria or in all other states). When you contact the police, you should ask for a copy of the police report or at least a reference number as some government agencies and businesses could ask for it. You can also report identity theft incidents online via the Australian Cyber Crime Online Reporting Network at 2. Keep a record of your case Keep a record of all information and contact relating to your case, such as the date and person you spoke to at an organisation. Some organisations may require you to complete a statutory declaration to support your claim. 3. Contact the idcare victim support centre idcare is a free victim support service that can provide you with advice on how to respond when your personal information is stolen or misused. You can call their toll-free hotline on or visit 4. Report the loss or theft of identity credentials to the issuing organisation Contact the government or organisation which issued the identity credential if it has been lost or stolen. Identity credentials include anything which can be used to identify you, such as your driver licence, credit cards or digital credentials (for example a username and password).

4 5. Alert your bank or financial institution Contact your bank or financial institution immediately and cancel all cards and accounts that may have been breached. 6. Get a copy of your credit report Contact a credit reporting agency to check for unauthorised transactions. It is advisable to check your credit report at least once per year for unauthorised inquiries made into your credit history. Inform the credit reporting agencies that you are a victim of identity crime and consider asking for an alert to be placed on your file so you are notified of requests for credit. 7. Close all unauthorised, fraudulent or breached accounts Contact the credit providers and businesses with whom any unauthorised accounts have been opened in your name. This may include phone and utility providers, department stores and financial institutions. Inform them you have been a victim of identity crime and ask them to close the fraudulent accounts. Most online sites, such as social networking or providers have a help section with advice about what to do if your account has been hacked or a fake account created.

5 8. Check that your mailing address hasn t changed Contact Australia Post ( to check that a redirect hasn t been placed on your mail. You should also check with businesses and government agencies you deal with that your address hasn t been changed without your permission. 9. Consider whether you may need a Victims Certificate A victims certificate may help you to overcome problems in your personal and business affairs caused by identity crime. Victims certificate schemes are available to victims of state and territory identity crimes in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. If you are a victim of crime involving a Commonwealth identity crime offence, you can apply to a magistrate for a Commonwealth victims certificate.

6 10. Consider whether legal assistance would be valuable If you need legal assistance as a victim of an identity crime, the website has a postcode based search tool for information about relevant legal and related services in your local area. 11. Consider reporting a privacy breach You can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) ( if you feel your privacy has been breached. Before lodging a complaint with the OAIC, try to resolve matters with the agency or organisation. Your state or territory privacy commissioner may also be able to help. Where can you get more information? Further information on protecting your identity and contact details for relevant organisations is available at