Columnist Susan Snyder: Potential victims can take action

Thursday, March 17, 2005 | 8:17 a.m.

Thousands of Las Vegas Valley motorists are the lucky ones today.

They're the residents who heaved sighs of relief when state Department of Motor Vehicles officials announced that the only people affected by a March 7 break-in at the North Las Vegas branch were those who obtained driver's licenses there between Nov. 25 and March 4.

But 8,738 people are still waiting helplessly and wondering what to do now that thieves have their Social Security numbers and birth dates. Police and federal officials say no actual identity theft has occurred until the stolen information is used.

It's akin to sitting on a bomb with a hidden timer. Doing something feels better than just waiting for the worst to happen. And knowing what to do is valuable, even for people who are not among the victims this time.

The Federal Trade Commission and Social Security Administration offer tips on what to do beside wring your hands.

For a complete list of all documents you'll need and the complete step-by-step process for clearing your credit and reporting fraud, check the FTC Web site, www.consumer.gov/idtheft. But here are some ways to get started.

Find out whether someone has obtained credit in your name by reviewing your credit reports kept by the three major reporting agencies. It shouldn't cost anything because federal law now requires each of the major companies to provide people one report annually for free, the FTC says.

But to get the reports free, you must order them by calling (877) 322-8228 or logging onto www.annualcreditreport.com. Don't contact the credit reporting companies directly, the FTC says. You may have to pay.

Next, the FTC advises, contact the creditors and cancel fraudulent accounts. For credit card companies, do it in writing. File a police report and file a complaint on the FTC's Web site or by calling (877) 438-4338.

To find out whether someone is using your Social Security number to obtain work, check your Social Security statement by calling (800) 772-1213. Or log onto www.ssa.gov/mystatement. If you find an error, tell the Social Security Administration.

Social Security officials also suggest asking the fraud departments of the three credit bureaus (listed below) to flag your record and require you be contacted before any additional credit is obtained. Ask how long the account will be flagged and how to extend that period. Also add a statement to your report explaining the problem. Include your name and phone number.

The major credit reporting bureaus are:

Equifax, www.equifax.com. Call (800) 685-1111 to order a report; call (800) 525-6285 to report fraud.

Experian, www.experian.com. Call (888) 397-3742 to order a report and report fraud.

TransUnion, www.tuc.com. Call (800) 916-8800 to order a credit report; (800) 680-7289 to report fraud.

It's time-consuming. But you can't request a new Social Security number unless you are still being defrauded after trying everything. Even then, an agency spokeswoman said, there is no guarantee you'll receive a new number.

And if you are among those who dodged the DMV bullet, make your own luck.

Buy a paper-shredder.