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If you suspect that someone has used your name, or other personal information to get credit or a loan, the following steps can help.

How to Restore Your Good Name

Keep a record. Because recovering from identity theft can be a long and complicated process, it's important to keep a record of all communications. Send all letters by registered mail and keep copies. If you think your case might lead to a lawsuit, keep track of how much time you spend dealing with the problem.

Call the police. Report the crime to the police department that has jurisdiction in your case and request a police report. Though the authorities are often unable to help, a report may be necessary to help convince creditors that someone else has opened an account in your name.

Protective Registration from CIFAS. Contact CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service, and file a Protective Registration notice on your credit file. This will flag to potential lenders that you have been a victim of identity fraud and greater security measures will be taken to ensure that the application for credit is genuine.

Check your credit report. Order your credit report and check for any new accounts opened in your name. Because new accounts may take up to six months to show up on the report, continue to monitor your credit report.

Freeze fraudulent accounts. Contact the appropriate creditors, banks, phone companies, and utility companies and have them freeze the accounts. You may be liable for only £50 of the fraudulent charges, but different issuers have different policies. Most creditors promptly issue replacement cards with new account numbers.