West Virginia 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.

West Virginia State Attorney General - Consumer 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia business filings online
  Verify the accuracy of your state business filings and confirm that your filings are up to date*

• Review your West Virginia UCC filings online
  Verify the accuracy of your West Virginia U.C.C. filings

* Note: If you do not yet have a Business4WV account, you will need to register for a free account before you will be able to use the online services.

In West Virginia, business owners can file their annual reports online using the secure website www.business4wv.com. To gain access to their information, business owners must enter a user name and password that they have chosen, and they also have the option of changing their password at any time. Also, in order for a business owner to update their annual report, they must enter a personal identification number issued by the Secretary of State’s Office.

Secretary Of State Launches Alert System To Notify Business Owners Of Possible Business Identity Theft
As of February 28, 2012, whenever a change is made to an online business record, an alert will be sent to the email address on record for that business. In that alert email, business owners will be directed to access the Secretary of State’s online database to check the information to ensure its accuracy.

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 West Virginia Business Filings

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

Please note that you should only contact the West Virginia Secretary of State Business 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.

West Virginia Credit Security Freeze

West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 a written complaint made to the Federal Trade Commission or Office of the Attorney General of West Virginia)
• All others must pay $5.00 to place a freeze, to temporarily lift the freeze, or to remove it entirely
• The freeze will remain in place until you remove it

To Place a Credit Security Freeze in West Virginia:

• Experian security freeze website  

• Equifax security freeze website  

• TransUnion security freeze website  

• Innovis security freeze website  
 

Report Business Identity Theft to West Virginia Law Enforcement

In West Virginia, if your business is a victim of business identity theft, you should report the crime to your local law enforcement agency or the West Virginia State Police, as applicable. In some cases, you may also file a complaint with the Office of the West Virginia Attorney General.

In the case of fraudulent business filings, the West Virginia Secretary of State Business Division 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.

West Virginia State Police

Website:  www.statepolice.wv.gov

Office of the West Virginia Attorney General

Website:  www.wvago.gov

File a complaint with the West Virginia Attorney General

West Virginia AG Consumer Protection Hotline: 1-800-368-8808