Unfortunately, one of the growing trends in today’s society is identity theft. Identity theft can happen to anyone and while most identity theft happens online due to hacking, there are dozens of situations where personal information was lost or stolen by a third party. If you are a victim of identity theft your credit rating can suffer. Here are some tips on combating bad credit and identity theft.

If your wallet has been lost, credit card stolen or your computer has been hacked it is important to notify all three credit bureaus immediately (Experian, Expedia and Trans Union). Usually, you will be able to put a block on your account, only allowing a new credit card or loan to be opened with your prior approval. Besides notifying the credit bureaus it is important to complete a police report for your records.

If you have been a victim of identity theft or would like to prevent identity theft the best preventive measure is to regularly request a copy of your credit report. Credit reports are usually given out for free to most US residents, depending on your state upon request each year. For people that think they have been a victim of identity theft, it is a good idea to request a credit report every six months or less.

Reviewing your credit report can usually tell if theft or fraud has occurred. You can easily see if a new account has been opened or new loans have been taken out. You then can contact the appropriate authorities being the lender and police. You may also want to talk to a lawyer regarding your legal rights.

Don’t be a victim of bad credit due to theft and fraud; take a look at the above advice on how to protect yourself from having bad credit due to identity theft or fraud.