How long can the effects of Identity Theft last?

It is difficult to predict how long the effects of identity theft may linger. This is because it is dependent on multiple factors including the type of theft, whether the thief sold or passed your information on to other thieves, whether the thief is caught, whether the theft occurred in another country, and whether there are problems related to correcting your credit reports.

Victims of identity theft should monitor their credit reports and other financial records for several months after they discover the crime. Victims should review their credit reports every three months in the first year following identity theft, and should also stay alert for other signs of identity theft.

Victims should not delay in correcting their records and must contact all companies that opened fraudulent accounts immediately. Make the initial contact by phone and then follow up in writing. The longer inaccurate information goes uncorrected, the longer it will take to resolve the problem.

Back to Identity Theft FAQ    View all Legal Questions Answered-FAQ

Identity Theft Videos