Texas 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.

Texas Attorney General: Texas Fights ID Theft website  (for personal protection)

Texas Attorney General: "Identity Theft Victim's Kit"  (for personal cases)

Texas Department of Public Safety: "Identity Theft Information Guide"  (for personal protection)

Texas Attorney General: "What to Do if You've been Scammed"

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

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

           Note: If you do not already have an account, you must register for an SOSDirect account to utilize the SOSDirect online service.

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 Texas Business Filings

In Texas, if your state business records have been fraudulently changed or updated, contact the Texas Secretary of State Corporations Section to report and correct fraudulent business filings. Contact information and instructions are provided below.

Please note that you should only contact the Texas Secretary of State Corporations Section for business identity theft incidents involving fraudulent business records. For such incidents, the Corporations Section 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.

Texas Credit Security Freeze

Texas 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 Texas 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 a police report or DMV report)
• All others must pay $10.00 to place a freeze, to temporarily lift the freeze, or to remove the freeze entirely
• There is a $12.00 fee to temporarily lift the freeze for a specific company
• The freeze will remain in place until you remove it

To Place a Credit Security Freeze in Texas:

• Experian security freeze website  

• Equifax security freeze website  

• TransUnion security freeze website  

• Innovis security freeze website  
 

Report Business Identity Theft to Texas Law Enforcement

In Texas, if your business is a victim of business identity theft, you should report the crime to your local law enforcement agency. You can also file a complaint with the Texas Office of the Attorney General.

In the case of fraudulent business filings, the Texas Secretary of State Corporations Section 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.

State of Texas Office of the Attorney General

Texas Attorney General website

File a complaint with the Texas Office of the Attorney General

TX Attorney General main telephone:  (512) 463-2100

Public information and assistance:      (800) 252-8011   or    (512) 475-4413 in Austin

Consumer Protection Hotline:              (800) 621-0508

Texas Department of Public Safety

Texas Dept of Public Safety website