Identity Theft - FAQs

Important Resources

  • Identity Theft Passport - The Identity Theft Passport is a card that you can carry and present to law enforcement or other individuals who may challenge you about your identity should you become the victim of identity crime.
  • Identity Theft Affidavit - Rather than completing several different forms, you can use the Identity Theft Affidavit to alert businesses about the fraud.  

Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. Our Victim Notification Program receives reports about identity thieves and con artists every day who use technology as a tool to perpetrate crimes. 

What do I do if I believe I am the victim of Identity Theft?

  1. Notify your bank or credit union, credit card company, and/or one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian or Trans Union) to notify them that you are a victim of an identity crime.
  2. Contact your local police or sheriff’s department and file a criminal complaint.
  3. If you fall victim to identity theft while using the Internet, you should file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
  4. Request an Identity Theft Passport from the Office of the Attorney General.

What ­­is the Attorney General's Identity Theft Passport?

The Identity Theft Passport is a card that you can carry and present to law enforcement or other individuals who may challenge you about your identity should you become the victim of identity crime. The Passport is designed to serve as notification to help protect victims from unlawful detention or arrest for crimes committed by another under a stolen identity.

An Identity Theft Passport may be available to any Virginian who:

Has filed a police report because they believe they are a victim of identity crime; and/or has obtained a court order expunging their record as a result of identity crime

You may download a PDF version of the application for an Identity Theft Passport. You can then print, complete, sign and mail to this Office; OR

You may write to this Office for an application for an Identity Theft Passport:

Office of the Attorney General
Victim Notification Program
202 North Ninth Street
Richmond, VA 23219

All applications must be submitted in person or by mail and will be acted upon promptly.

Additional Resources

Avoiding Identity Theft

How To Avoid Identity Theft – A Guide for Victims

You can also request a hard copy by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Identity Theft Affidavit

The Identity Theft Affidavit is available to you if you are involved in a dispute regarding fraudulent debts and accounts opened by an identity thief.  Rather than completing several different forms, you can use the Identity Theft Affidavit to alert businesses about the fraud.  The company can then investigate the fraud and decide the outcome of your claim. You can download the affidavit or find it in the back of the booklet above.

Federal Trade Commission

www.ftc.gov

Credit Report

Federal law requires that each of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) provide one free credit report per year to individuals upon request.  You may order your free credit report from each of the three bureaus at the Annual Credit Report website.