Prying Eyes: Protect Your Privacy From People Who Sell to You, Snoop on You, and Steal From You
by Eric Gertler, 448 pages, Random House Reference, $16.95

If someone steals your car or burgles your house, the normal course of action is to call the police and then sit back while they handle case. But if someone steals your identity, it's an entirely different matter. When a criminal has gained access to your bank card, credit card, or your driver's license and is setting up accounts and taking out loans in your name, it's up to you to take action and try to limit the damage done to your credit rating, your bank account, and possibly your reputation.

"Identity theft is not only the fastest growing crime in the United States, but also the leading consumer fraud complaint in the country," writes Eric J. Gertler in his new book, Prying Eyes: Protect Your Privacy From People Who Sell to You, Snoop on You and Steal From You. "If you are the victim of this crime," he cautions, "once you discover it, you are left to pick up the pieces--such as clearing your financial and credit troubles and sometimes restoring your personal reputation."

The former CEO of Privista, a now-merged identity theft protection and credit management company, and former president of U.S. News & World Report and The Atlantic Monthly, Gertler recommends taking the following immediate steps should you suddenly find yourself among the 10 million or more victims of identity theft in the U.S. annually.

1. Place a fraud alert on your account by calling one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax (1-800-685-1111), Experian (888-397-3742), or Trans Union (1-800-888-4213). A fraud alert will insure that if anyone tries to use your information to establish a new credit account, you will be called to personally confirm the account.

2. Once you have placed a fraud alert with one bureau, the other two will be notified automatically, and each will send you a credit report. Review each report as soon as you receive it for any new accounts opened in your name. Report any inaccuracy found to the credit bureau.

3. File a police report as proof that you are a victim of identity theft and send copies to all three credit bureaus. You need to visit the police station in person and report what happened to you in the identity theft. Take along any documentation you have of the identity theft, such as collection letters and any other evidence of the theft. Be sure to get a copy of the police report.

4. Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission and file an ID theft affidavit by calling 877-438-4338. The FTC will provide you with an identity theft affidavit, which you can send to the credit bureaus and credit institutions to close fraudulent accounts and debts opened in your name.

5. Call credit institutions and cancel any accounts opened in your name. Dispute any charges that you did not personally undertake. Ask for a letter from each institution stating that they have closed the disputed account and discharged you of any fraudulent debt.

6. Contact any government agencies, depending upon your case: the Post Office, if you think the identity thief may have redirected your mail or has committed mail fraud in your name; the Social Security Administration, ff you believe your Social Security number is being fraudulently used; the Internal Revenue Service, if you suspect improper use of identification in connection With tax violations; the police, if you believe the thief has committed crimes in your name.

In his book, Gertler provides more detailed information on each of the above steps. He also explains in depth how you can reduce your chances of becoming an identity theft victim in the first place and provides information on what you can do to protect your privacy on the Internet, in your home, at your workplace, in your medical records, and in your everyday life.

Prying Eyes is a book that may make you feel a little paranoid, but caution is the better part of valor in a world where prying eyes are everywhere and information about you can be accessed instantly by just about anyone on earth.