If you are in danger, call 911. If you need to exit this website quickly, click on the ESCAPE button. This button will immediately open a browser window for weather.com and replace your current window with google.com.
Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    Types of Crimes

    Identity Theft

    Identity theft is the crime of using the personal or financial information of another person to commit fraud, such as making unauthorized transactions or purchases.

    What is Identity Theft?

    Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. They might steal your name and address, credit card, or bank account numbers, Social Security number, or medical insurance account numbers. And they could use them to

    • buy things with your credit cards
    • get new credit cards in your name
    • open a phone, electricity, or gas account in your name
    • steal your tax refund
    • use your health insurance to get medical care
    • pretend to be you if they are arrested

    Indentity Theft Q&A

    Even if you do everything possible to prevent criminals from stealing your identity, it can still happen to you.  Here are some common warning signs your identity has been stolen:

    • Your credit report shows unknown accounts
    • You are denied credit, or offered less favorable credit terms, for no apparent reason
    • You receive an actual credit card you did not apply for
    • You fail to receive bills or other mail (a missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changes your billing address to cover his tracks or obtain personal information)

    If you have an arrest warrant issued in your name, contact the arresting or citing law enforcement agency (i.e., the police or sheriff's department that originally arrested the person using your identity, or the court agency that issued the warrant for the arrest).  You'll need to file an impersonation report to confirm your identity and the police department may take a full set of your fingerprints, your photograph, and copies of any photo identification documents you have, including your driver's license, passport, and visa.

    The law enforcement agency may then recall any warrants and issue a "clearance letter" or certificate of release if you were arrested/booked.  Keep this document with you at all times in case you're wrongly arrested.  Also, ask the law enforcement agency to file the record of the follow-up investigation establishing your innocence to the district attorney's office and the court where the crime took place.  Ask that the "key name" or "primary name" on the warrant be changed from your name to the imposter's name and that your name is noted only as an alias.

    Someone has stolen my identity, what do I do?

    While there are no guarantees about avoiding identity theft, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk and minimize the damage if a problem occurs.

    • Contact one of the three credit reporting agencies and ask for a fraud alert to be placed on your credit report.  You only need to call one agency; it will  automatically notify the other two agencies. 
    • If you have discovered that someone fraudulently opened new accounts in your name, contact the financial institution that opened them and cancel them.  If you don't know how to reach the financial institution, the credit bureaus should be able to provide that information to you.
    • File a report with your local police department.
    • Contact all of the financial institutions that issue your bank cards, credit cards and checking/savings accounts to ensure that there are no fraudulent charges on your accounts.  Ask them to send you their company's fraud dispute form, which you will need to fill out, even if you speak to someone on the phone.  You will also need to provide them with a copy of your police report.
    • If your driver's license or state-issued identification card is missing, contact Penn DOT at 1-800-932-4600 or go to Identity Security (pa.gov)
    •  If your passport is missing, contact the United States Department of State at 1-202-955-0430 or go to: Report my Passport Lost or Stolen (state.gov)
    • If your Social Security card is missing, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or online at Social Security Number and Card | SSA
    • If your medical/insurance cards are missing, contact your health insurance company.
    • File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which tracks incidents of Theft Affidavit at Identity Theft Recovery Steps | IdentityTheft.gov
    • For crimes involving your mail, contact your local post office. The number can be found by going to Welcome | USPS  or looking in the blue pages of your phone book under "United States Government, Postal Service."

    Helpful resources

    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft.  It provides detailed information to help you protect yourself from identity theft, and the steps to take if it occurs.