2/6/2011 6:09 PM (PST)

What was the name of the business? I hope you posted a review here on TrustLink.

You should immediately set up a fraud alert with the credit reporting bureaus. A fraud alert lets potential creditors know that you may be a victim of identity theft. This makes it harder for someone to get credit in your name because creditors have to follow certain procedures to protect you. Keep in mind though, that if you want to get a loan, delays will happen because of extra verifications. A fraud alert can be done by calling one of the big three consumer reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion). As soon as one of these puts a fraud alert in your file, it will notify the other two, and then they must also do the same.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com

An initial fraud alert stays in your file for at least 90 days and these can be extended. You might want to use your cell phone as a contact number, so that you can be reached easily. There's a lot to learn about preventing identity theft and recovering from ID theft if you have been a victim; www.privacyrights.org is a good place to start.

Since I assume they have other important information on you (address, etc) that can be matched with your SSN, you should also alert your bank.

Here are our general information reports covering credit report issues:
http://www.la.bbb.org/GIReport.aspx?DocumentID=165

http://www.la.bbb.org/GIReport.aspx?DocumentID=79

Good luck, and remember to post the name of the business to alert others of your experience.