Attention: These are examples of identity theft and could be the only signs you'll get that you may be a victim of identity theft. If you suspect someone has stolen your ID and is being used for fraudulent activities, you'll need to act as soon as you can to limit the damage.
1). Your Expected Mail is Missing. Sometimes when a thief steals your account information they change the mailing address so they receive the bills and other correspondence from your bank or other financial institution. This makes it easier for the crooks to change the PIN or password that unlocks the account. Be on the lookout for regular bills that don't arrive.
2). You Receive Mail or Phone Calls You Don't Expect. Normally, when a thief has taken over your identity, it's for one reason and one reason only-a financial one. They are scheming on how to turn your good credit into a quick payday for them. In doing so, they may have caused an invoice, receipt or some kind of notice to be sent to your home. If this is the case, contact the organization immediately for an explanation. The same holds true with unexpected telephone calls. Unfortunately, this call will be from a collection agency about an unpaid bill.
3). You Notice Unusual Entries On Your Credit Report. Since you are allowed to "pull" your credit report from all 3 major credit bureaus once a year, do so. Scan and report any incorrect information. Once corrected, you now have a clean and reliable report from which to monitor. If a new entry appears and you have no idea what it is, investigate it promptly!
4). You Are Denied Credit. Unfortunately, one of the most common ways to find out your identity has been stolen is when you apply for new credit and are denied. Of course this only applies to people with good credit in the first place. What happened is the thief has opened credit accounts in your name, not paid the bills, and the creditor has dinged your credit report.
5). You Find Strange Entries On Your Credit Card Statements. It's not very difficult to use a stolen credit card to make fraudulent purchases. Always check your statements and look for unusual purchases that you normally don't make. A professional identity thief will test out the account with a small purchase to see if the card is still valid.
6). You Bounce a Check or Discover Your Credit Card Transaction Has Been Turned Down Unexpectedly. Identity thieves who steal from banks and credit card accounts tend to make as many charges as they can as quickly as they can before you find out and deactivate the card or account. If this is the case, you may need to fill out an identity theft report or "ID Theft Affidavit".
7). One of Your Online Accounts Has Uncommon Transactions or You Get Odd Emails. You may have an account with Amazon or iTunes for example. For a professional ID thief, these accounts are easily hacked because they only require a user name and password. Since the products are mostly digital and can be downloaded immediately, a crook can avoid the address-of-record protection usually associated with purchases of a physical product.
In summary, the best identity theft protection plan starts with you. You must be proactive!
Be safe and stay informed.
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