When speaking about the Nigerian scam (or similar type ones) most police departments are not even able to investigate these types of scams because of how widespread and rampant they are - involving multiple suspects and countries. I've learned that you truly have to be your own advocate and that in the cases of ID Theft, you're responsible for the legwork. In order to make it easier to protect yourself, here is some information that I've compiled...just in case:

* If you suspect that you are the victim of ID Theft, you can obtain an ID Theft Affidavit and Fraudulent Account Statement from your local PD. You can make a basic report with your PD but this statement is what you'll be submitting to creditors in order to clear up your name and clean your credit report. Get a copy of the police report you have made, even if the officer is unable to fully investigate.

* You will send these completed forms to the creditor, bank, or company that provided the thief with the unauthorized credit, goods, or services that you did not authorize. Make sure that you send them "certified mail, return receipt requested" so that you have proof it was received.

* These forms are not a guarantee that the debt will disappear, but they will greatly help your situation.
Notify the three major credit reporting bureaus of the fraud: Equifax - 1-800-525-6285 or www.equifax.com, Experian - 1-888-EXPERIAN or www.experian.com, TransUnion - 1-800-680-7289 or www.transunion.com.

* Besides the fraud alert, you can also request a free copy of your credit report (only once a year).

* Close the affected accounts and notify the security departments of each agency.

* Use PIN numbers that are not easy to guess!

* File an ID Theft Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. They keep track of these complaints and can aid with investigations. You can find the form here. You can also call 1-877-IDTHEFT.

* Last, but not least, always follow your intuition. Be skeptical of anyone who contacts you and wants your personal information. I make everyone send me information in writing. If they can't do it then I don't want it! I met a lady the other day who honestly thought she won $82,000 in an Australian lottery even though she's never been to Australia nor does she play the lottery. She received the "winning" phone call on her answering machine and had a police officer call the scammer back. It ended up being somewhere in Jamaica and once confronted, the scammer promptly "told off" the officer and refused to continue to answer the phone.

You can protect yourself but it's hard. Be on the offensive at all times because defense can come to late. Do you have any tips to share?