Credit Fraud: Credit obtained fraudulently may go undetected until the charges become past due and creditors come looking for you. To find out what credit fraud has been placed in your name, order a credit report and look for unexplained activity.

Report credit card fraud and identity theft to all police and sheriff's departments within jurisdiction.  Credit card companies and banks may require you to show the report in order to convince them of your innocence. If they don't believe you, they may hold you responsible for bounced checks, charges made in your name, etc.

Give the police/sheriff's department as much evidence as possible, and get a copy of your police report.  Get the direct phone number to your detective or the official taking the report.

If you're the victim of internet fraud, contact the FBI internet fraud center

Identity theft protection
Don't place bills in your mailbox with the flag up. Thieves can snatch the envelopes right out of the box and then alter the 'pay to' and amount lines.

Pay attention to your billing cycles and contact creditors if bills don't arrive on time. It may mean that someone is intercepting your mail. To prevent this, you can pay your bills online. Another step that can help protect your identity is to stop credit card offers from being mailed to you.

Cancel all unused credit cards so thieves can't get those account numbers from your credit report.

Keep your Social Security card, birth certificate and other identifying papers in a safe place, not in your wallet. Stash a list of your creditors, along with phone numbers, in the same place in case your credit cards are stolen.

Pick up newly ordered checks at the bank to avoid having blank checks in your mailbox.

Check your credit report annually. Report any suspicious activity immediately.

Make sure no one can see you punch in your PIN or password at the ATM or retailer, or your telephone card number at a pay phone.

Keep documents with personal information, such as canceled checks, in a safe place and shred them or tear them up when you don't need them anymore. Documents that you should shred or tear up include charge receipts, copies of credit applications, bank checks, ATM receipts and insurance forms.

Suspect you're the victim of identity theft?

Contact creditors about questionable items and close accounts you believe are fraudulent or have unauthorized transactions.

Call the fraud department at each of the major credit bureaus to ask that a "fraud alert" be placed in your file, so that lenders will be alerted to the fact that you may be a fraud victim. Ask that the fraud alert state that you do not want new credit extended without contacting you first, and ensure your name/address/phone number are all correct.

Contact the local police to file a report. Keep a copy in case you need it later as proof of the crime.

Report credit fraud to the FTC, which will store the information in its database so it can be accessed by law enforcement agencies. The FTC can provide information on steps victims should take and sometimes will refer cases to other government agencies or private organizations for further action.