Pennsylvania 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.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Identity Theft website  (for personal protection)

Pennsylvania "Identity Theft Action Plan" website  (for personal protection and cases)

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

• Review your Pennsylvania UCC filings online
  Verify the accuracy of your Pennsylvania UCC filings

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 Pennsylvania Business Filings

In Pennsylvania, if your state business records have been fraudulently changed or updated, contact the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau to report and correct fraudulent business filings. Contact information is provided below.

Please note that you should only contact the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau 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.

Pennsylvania Credit Security Freeze

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 report), or for seniors age 65 or older
• All others must pay $10.00 to place a freeze or to temporarily lift the freeze
• There is no fee to remove the freeze entirely
• The freeze will remain in place for seven years unless you remove it prior to expiration

To Place a Credit Security Freeze in Pennsylvania:

• Experian security freeze website  

• Equifax security freeze website  

• TransUnion security freeze website  

• Innovis security freeze website  
 

Report Business Identity Theft to Pennsylvania Law Enforcement

In Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection.

In the case of fraudulent business filings, the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau 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.

Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General

Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General website

File a complaint with the Pennsylvania Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection
Page includes both online and downloadable pdf complaint forms

Pennsylvania AG Bureau of Consumer Protection telephone:  (717) 787-9707

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public Safety Portal

Pennsylvania Public Safety Portal website