What should I do if my identity is stolen?

Inform all your banks and financial companies as soon as you realize your identity has been stolen or an account is at risk. If you bank with us, contact us immediately. We'll work with you to investigate unauthorized transactions made using your Green Dot accounts.

We also urge you to take these steps immediately:

• Call the fraud departments of all three credit reporting agencies. Ask them to place a fraud alert on your file. This alert tells creditors to call you before they open any new accounts in your name.
• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
• File a report with your local police. Even if the police can't catch the identity thief, having a police report can help you clear up your credit records later on.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Trained counselors staff the FTC's identity theft hotline toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). Or you can file a complaint by visiting www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
• Fill out the Identity Theft Affidavit (PDF), which will help you when you tell other companies an identity thief has opened a new account in your name.

You can also check out these resources for more tips and information:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Identity Theft site (mentioned above)
• U.S. Department of Justice—Fraud Section site