If your identity was stolen today, what would you do?

The Federal Trade Commission website covers identity theft.

The site, https://identitytheft.gov, explains what to do if your identity is stolen.

What should you do?

1. Call the companies where fraud happened. Ask the fraud department to close or freeze the accounts in your name. Change any log-ins, passwords or PIN numbers.

2. Put a 1-year fraud alert on your credit by calling a credit bureau. They will relay the request to the others. Call Experian at 888-397-3742, Transunion at 888-909- 8872 or Equifax at 800-685-1111. The fraud alert will require identity verification to open new accounts.

3. Check your credit report to see if fraud accounts are already there. Visit https://annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228. It may take up to 2 months for a fraudulent account to show up.

4. Report identity theft to the FTC at https://identitytheft.gov/assistant or call 877-438-4338. If you report online, create an account to get personal FTC help.

5. Report to local authorities. Bring your FTC identity theft report, a government photo ID, proof of your address like a utility bill, and proof of the theft. Ask to file a report and ask for a copy of the report.

The FTC offers guidance, too. Check it out at https://identitytheft.gov/Steps