What does the FTC do to help victims of identity theft?
The FTC is the federal clearinghouse for identity theft complaints. Although the FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, we help victims of identity theft by providing them with information on the Web, in print, and through our toll-free Hotline to help resolve the problems that can result from this crime.

We also make the complaints we receive from victims available to other federal, state and local law enforcement officials worldwide. Complaints also may be shared with some private companies, such as credit bureaus, and other appropriate entities, for the purpose of correcting identity theft related problems and preventing fraud.

What is the FTC doing to reduce identity theft?
The FTC is:

• educating consumers on how to safeguard personally identifying information,
   
• providing outreach and informational materials to businesses about best practices, and
   
• promoting identity theft investigations and prosecution.  We provide law enforcement training and consumer education materials to federal, state and local law enforcement and other agencies.

What does the FTC do about other types of fraud?
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a non-identity theft related complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Why should I file a complaint with the FTC?
Filing a complaint with the FTC is important for a number of reasons:

1) Complaints get entered into a secure database used by law enforcement to investigate cases. Identity thieves do not necessarily limit themselves to victims in a single jurisdiction. Even if your local law enforcement agency can't investigate your case, you may be able to provide useful information to a law enforcement officer investigating from another jurisdiction.

2) The FTC aggregates related complaints into large case leads and refers them out to task forces or other law enforcement agencies for investigation. You may think you're the only victim of this identity thief when, in fact, you may be one of many. The more complaints we receive, the better our chances of discovering patterns of theft and taking steps to catch the criminals.

3) The FTC analyzes information from complaints to understand more about identity theft and the problems victims are having in resolving it. Policy-makers and businesses are interested in this information so that they can craft better remedies to prevent identity theft and to provide better victim assistance. Understanding the problem is the first step to resolving it. You are the best source of that information.

4) The FTC can open investigations against entities which have violated consumer protection laws which we enforce. See http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/stat3.htm. Although we do not advocate on behalf of individuals and we cannot guarantee that an investigation will be opened on the basis of your particular complaint, consumer complaints are one way in which we are able to discover law violations and to take enforcement action. For more information, see http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/action.htm.

How does the FTC use the information I provide?
We enter the information you send into our electronic database - the Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse is a system of records covered under the Privacy Act of 1974. In general, the Privacy Act prohibits unauthorized disclosures of the records it protects. It also gives individuals the right to review records about themselves. Learn more about your Privacy Act rights and the FTC's Privacy Act procedures by contacting the FTC's Freedom of Information Act Office: 202-326-2430; www.ftc.gov/foia/privacy_act.htm.

The information you submit is shared with our attorneys and investigators. It also may be shared with various other law enforcement authorities. We also may share information with certain private entities, such as credit bureaus and any companies you may have complained about, where we believe that doing so might assist in resolving identity theft-related problems. You may be contacted by the FTC or any of the agencies or private entities to whom your complaint has been referred. In other limited circumstances, including requests from Congress, we may be required by law to disclose information you submit.

We also aggregate the information you provide us with the information from other complaints and make the data available in statistical reports. Policy-makers, the media and businesses use these reports to focus attention on particular problems and to devise remedies to those problems.

Can I submit my complaint anonymously?
Yes. However, if you do not provide your name and contact information, law enforcement and other entities will not be able to contact you to obtain additional information to assist in identity theft investigations or prosecutions.

Will an investigation be opened if I file a complaint?
Although the FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, your complaint will be entered into the FTC's Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse. As a result, sworn law enforcement officers, through their membership to the Clearinghouse, can search the information provided by you in the course of their criminal investigations. You will be contacted by a law enforcement agency if your case becomes part of one of their criminal investigations. As there is no guarantee, though, that your complaint will be investigated through the Clearinghouse, you should always maintain direct contact with your local police department to stay updated about the progress of your case.

Most law enforcement agencies agree that identity theft cases should be investigated aggressively. However, issues such as staff resources, caseloads, budget, and prosecutorial guidelines all affect whether or not a law enforcement agency will pursue your case. So when reporting your crime, be as accurate as possible about actual monetary loss and about any information relating to the suspect such as actual name, address, date of birth that you may know. The accuracy of this information could be the difference between having a case investigated or declined.

Ask your police department to search the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database for other complaints in your community. You may not be the first or only victim of this identity thief. If there is a pattern of cases, local authorities may give your case more consideration.

The FTC can open investigations against entities which have violated consumer protections laws which we enforce. See http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/stat3.htm. Although we do not advocate on behalf of individuals and we cannot guarantee that an investigation will be opened on the basis of your particular complaint, consumer complaints are one way in which we are able to discover law violations and to take enforcement action. For more information see http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/action.htm.

What documents do I need to file with my complaint?
None. The only thing you need to file with the FTC is your complaint. Please do not send the FTC your completed ID Theft Affidavit, your police report, your credit reports, financial information, or any other documents relating to your case. If a law enforcement agency decides to open an investigation on your case, they will contact you directly and let you know what documents they need.

What should I do if I've filed a complaint, but get additional information or have additional problems?
Whenever you have any additional information or problems, contact us, and we'll update your complaint. If you filed a complaint online, you will need to call our hotline (1-877-IDTHEFT) to give us the update.