Ohio state resources for personal identity theft protection

Note: These resources are specifically designed to address personal identity theft prevention and incidents of consumer identity theft. Because most state and federal identity theft and consumer protection laws are designed to protect individual consumers, businesses generally do not enjoy the same rights, protections, and potential recourse as consumers. Therefore, while helpful in addressing many issues that you may face as an individual, be aware that consumer identity theft information may not be applicable to an incident of business identity theft or fraud.

Ohio Attorney General identity theft website  (for personal protection)

Learn how to protect your personal credit

Business identity thieves often use the identity information (and credit) of the business owner or company officers to open new accounts, or as guarantors of fraudulent loans and lines of credit. In addition to taking actions to protect your business, it is also important to protect yourself as well. This section provides detailed explanations of important consumer credit protection tools that are available to help protect your personal credit from identity thieves.

Use the links below to learn what these tools are, how they work, and how to use them to help protect your personal credit.

Tools & Resources to Protect Your Personal Credit:

Review, Manage, and Protect Your Ohio Business Filings

If your business does not regularly review your state business filings, file your annual reports in a timely manner, or enroll in email alerts or other preventative systems that may be offered by your state, you may unknowingly attract the unwanted attention of business identity thieves.

• Review your Ohio business filings online
  Verify the accuracy of your state business filings and confirm that your filings are up to date

The Ohio Secretary of State’s office provides a free, easy-to-use filing notification system that allows businesses to track any changes and updates to business filings with our office. Businesses or individuals need only submit an email address and business charter, registration or license number for each filing, which can be found through a simple online business search at www.OhioSecretaryofState.gov. Once subscribed to the service, an email will be sent automatically the day after any document is filed. The email will serve as notification of all changes to that business record. All Ohio companies are encouraged to sign up for the Secretary of State’s business filing notification system as an added layer of defense in protecting themselves against business identity theft.

Under Ohio law, the Secretary of State’s office is prohibited from accepting a business owner’s Social Security Number as a requirement for filing to do business. This safeguard, as well as the Ohio Secretary of State’s filing notification system, assists businesses and their owners against the threat of business identity theft.

Ohio Secretary of State Business Identity Theft website

Review and Protect Your Business Credit Reports

Business identity thieves can manipulate or falsify business credit records and then use these to impersonate your business, or as a part of a fraud scheme to target your business. To combat this, you should periodically review your business credit reports and the information that is being reported.

Contact the business credit reporting agencies:

Report and Correct Fraudulent Ohio Business Filings

In Ohio, if your state business records have been fraudulently changed or updated, contact the Ohio Secretary of State Business Services Division to report and correct fraudulent business filings. Contact information is provided below.

Please note that you should only contact the Ohio Secretary of State Business Services Division for business identity theft incidents involving fraudulent business records. For such incidents, the Division may also report or escalate to law enforcement as appropriate.

All other types of business identity theft incidents and related fraud should be reported directly to law enforcement. Also review the Business Identity Theft Victim Action List for other important steps to take.

Ohio Credit Security Freeze

Ohio enacted its own state law establishing the availability of credit security freezes for its citizens. The three major credit bureaus  (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) have also voluntarily made security freezes available to all Ohio state citizens. Innovis voluntarily allows consumers in all states to freeze their Innovis credit files.

Eligibility: All consumers 

Credit Security Freeze Fees:  Per credit bureau. To be effective, you should place a freeze at each credit bureau
• No cost for confirmed identity theft victims to place a freeze (with a copy of police or DMV report)
• All others must pay $5.00 to place a freeze, to temporarily lift the freeze, or to remove it entirely
• There is a $5.00 fee for replacement PINs, if needed
• The freeze will remain in place until you remove it

To Place a Credit Security Freeze in Ohio:

• Experian security freeze website  

• Equifax security freeze website  

• TransUnion security freeze website  

• Innovis security freeze website  
 

Report Business Identity Theft to Ohio Law Enforcement

In Ohio, if your business is a victim of business identity theft, you should report the crime to your local law enforcement agency. In some cases, you may also file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Section of the Office of the Ohio Attorney General.

In the case of fraudulent business filings, the Ohio Secretary of State Business Services Division may also report or escalate to law enforcement as appropriate.

Be certain to also review the Business Identity Theft Victim Action List for other important steps to take.

Office of the Ohio Attorney General

Ohio Attorney General website

File a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General

Ohio AG Help Center phone:  Toll-free: (800) 282-0515  or  Local: (614) 466-4986

Ohio Department of Public Safety

Ohio Department of Public Safety website