What Can I Do About Credit Card Fraud in California?

If you have ever experienced the sinking feeling when you realize someone else has used your credit card, you are not alone. If you have suffered from credit card fraud in California, there are actions you can take to report this increasing form of identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, hundreds of thousands of cases of credit card fraud are reported by consumers each year. Credit card fraud in California alone accounts for tens of thousands of the total number of identity theft cases in the US every year.

What Is California Credit Card Fraud?

While identity theft as a form of California credit card fraud has been increasing each year, the type of credit card fraud has been changing. The two main types of credit card fraud in California are:

The creation of new credit card accounts to commit California credit card fraud makes up the overwhelming majority of credit card fraud cases in California. This type of credit card identity theft is likely due to:

• Increased anti-theft technology associated with newer cards
• Large payouts and quick turnarounds associated with this type of identity theft
• Increase in access to vast amounts of personal data for sale online due to massive data breaches

How to File a Police Report for California Credit Card Identity Theft

Creating a record of your California credit card fraud case may be vital to proving your case to your creditors and credit bureaus. It may also help in preventing future cases of identity theft. To file a police report about California credit card fraud, follow the steps listed below.

1. Go to your local California police station.
2. Request to report identity theft in the form of California credit card fraud
3. Present your credit report showing items related to credit card fraud
4. You may redact any other items not pertaining to the fraud case
5. Request a copy of your police report

Signs That You May Be a Victim of California Credit Card Fraud

Keeping a close eye on your financial information is one of the first lines of defense against California credit card identity theft. To avoid becoming the victim of credit card fraud, watch out for the following signs:

• Contacts from debt collectors regarding debts that do not belong to you
• You stop receiving your bank or credit card statements
• You spot suspicious charges on your credit card
• You find suspicious withdrawals from your bank account
• You receive notices from your bank about suspicious transactions
• Products are delivered to your home that you did not order

What to Do if Your Identity Is Stolen

If someone commits California credit card fraud by opening a new credit card account with your stolen identity, there are steps you can take to resolve the situation.

1. Contact all of your credit card companies and notify them
2. Notify credit bureaus and request a fraud alert for your existing credit cards
3. Notify credit bureaus and request a credit freeze
4. Request credit monitoring services from your credit card provider
5. Report identity theft to FTC
6. File report with local California police department
7. Check with your insurance provider to see if you have identity theft protection
8. Carefully review all bank statements
9. Increase security and password protection on all existing accounts
10. Monitor your credit reports for unusual accounts

How to Handle California Credit Card Fraud by Yourself

To resolve California credit card fraud by yourself, you will need to learn how to complete several of the complicated tasks listed above.

How to Freeze Your Credit Reports

1. Contact the three major consumer credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to request a freeze.
2. Provide your name, address, and birth date
3. Provide Social Security number
4. Answer identity verification questions
5. Receive a PIN to freeze and unfreeze your credit reports

How to Report Identity Theft to the FTC

1. Go to the FTC website.
2. Complete form with details of the theft
3. Complete form with personal details
4. Complete form with suspect details
5. Complete form with additional information
6. Make a personal statement
7. Review and submit your complaint

How to Set-up Fraud Alerts With Credit Bureaus

1. Contact one of the three major consumer credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion)
2. Provide your name, address, and birth date
3. Provide Social Security number
4. Answer identity verification questions
5. Request a Fraud Alert
6. Check back in a few days to verify the Fraud Alert was activated.

Next Steps for Resolving California Credit Card Fraud if You Can’t Do It Yourself

To complete all of the tasks above, including the process of filing a police report with a local California police station, will take considerable time and effort.

The DoNotPay identity theft product can ensure your California credit card fraud issues are resolved by:

1. Filing a report with the FTC
2. File a police report
3. Contact the credit bureaus to set up Fraud Alerts and freeze credit reports.

If you are uncertain about your ability to complete any of these time-consuming tasks, DoNotPay can help by quickly and easily doing it for you.

How to deal with identity theft using DoNotPay:

1. Search "identity theft" on DoNotPay and select the type of incident you would like to report.

2. Tell us more about the incident that occurred, including the location, date, time, financial loss, and any suspect information you may have.

3. We'll identify whether you should file an FTC report, contact the IRS, freeze your credit report, contact state agencies, or file a police report. Once we guide you through the best options, we'll automatically submit the reports on your behalf.

And that's it. DoNotPay will make sure your issue gets sent to the right place. We'll upload confirmation documents to your task for you to view, and if the contacts need more information, they will reach out to you personally via email or mail.

Why Use DoNotPay to Resolve California Credit Card Fraud

• Fast—You don't have to spend hours trying to learn how to notify creditors and freeze credit reports
• Easy—You don't have to fill out tedious FTC forms or remember every step involved in resolving your credit card fraud
• Successful—You can relax knowing DoNotPay will follow through until the end

DoNotPay Works Across All Companies

DoNotPay is your online service solution for a wide array of issues besides California credit card fraud. Here are a few other ways we can be of service.

• IRS identity theft
• Social Security identity theft
• Unemployment fraud
• Stolen stimulus check
• Equifax identity theft
• Experian identity theft
• Send Demand Letters To for identity theft

Let DoNotPay resolve your complicated and time-consuming issues so you can get back to living your life.