South Carolina 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.

South Carolina Dept. of Consumer Affairs identity theft webpage  (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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina business filings online
  Verify the accuracy of your state business filings and confirm that your filings are up to date

• Review your South Carolina UCC filings online
  Verify the accuracy of your South Carolina UCC filings

The South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office is aware of the growing problem of business identity theft. The Secretary has participated in forums to get a better understanding of how to combat this threat. We encourage businesses and the public to make their concerns known to the Secretary of State’s Office so that we may formulate an appropriate plan of action.

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 South Carolina Business Filings

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

Please note that you should only contact the South Carolina Secretary of State Division of Business Filings 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.

South Carolina Credit Security Freeze

South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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
• There are no costs for South Carolina citizens under state law
• The freeze will remain in place until you remove it

To Place a Credit Security Freeze in South Carolina:

• Experian security freeze website  

• Equifax security freeze website  

• TransUnion security freeze website  

• Innovis security freeze website  
 

Report Business Identity Theft to South Carolina Law Enforcement

In South Carolina, 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 South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.

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

Also review the Business Identity Theft Victim Action List for other important steps to take.

South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs

Website:  www.scconsumer.gov

File a complaint with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs

South Carolina D.C.A. telephone:  1-800-922-1594 (toll free in S.C.)  or  (803) 734-4200