jeff baldwin writes: How do I find a good Credit Fraud Alert service? I have been hearing a lot about credit card fraud. It seems like credit card fraud is getting worse. Thanks for any help about credit fraud tips.

Anonymous writes: The credit bureaus are a great source for credit fraud alerts. It is a great idea to add a fraud alert to your profile. hope that helps.

Chris R. writes: Jeff, here are a few suggestions if you find yourself as a victim of credit fraud.

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Protect Yourself - First, make sure a security alert or victim statement is on file with all national credit bureaus.

Inform the Creditor - Contact each creditor with the fraud account and inform them that the account is fraudulent.

Document all Contacts - Make notes of everyone you spoke with; ask for names, department names, phone extensions; record the date you spoke to them.

Understand the Process - Each creditor may have a different process for handling a fraud claim. Make sure you understand exactly what is expected from you, and then ask what you can expect from the creditor. At the conclusion of an investigation, ask the creditor for a document that states you are not responsible for the debt.

Follow Up - Make sure everything a creditor/credit bureau has requested is received. It is always a good idea to place a follow up call or send a letter for confirmation.

Review Reports Regularly - As a victim, you are entitled to a free credit report. Request the report several months AFTER you believe everything is cleared up. If a new fraudulent account is discovered, you know how to handle it. If your credit report is back to normal, you can feel confident that all issues were resolved as you expected. It would be a good idea to check your credit report again in six months and a year later.

Don't Throw Away Files - Keep all notes and correspondence in an accessible file in case they are needed in the future.

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Source: http://tinyurl.com/6pewy

Cheese Whiz writes: I work at one of the largest online retailers of cheese in the world and we recently had a security breach where customers information was being stolen as they placed orders...we kept it quiet so we wouldn't have any repercussions but I know for a fact that some of them had their cards fraudulently used shortly after. We use all the best in security - Verisign etc...however information was being stolen before it was transmitted to those companies and they had no idea. Its a scary world out there, thanks to the great people at companies like Improve Your Credit for keeping us informed.