Signs of Identity Theft

Author: Andy Mitchel | Filed under: Identity Theft Protection | Tags: Signs of Identity Theft | No Comments »

As you may know, identity theft is becoming more prevalent both in the online and offline world. This is because people aren’t as cautious as they should be, and thieves continue to find new ways of stealing personal information. For instance, a store may ask you to put your social security number on your check. This is not required of course, but it’s a way for someone to steal your identity. Some people however have no problems revealing critical information about themselves that could result in being the next victim of identity theft.

When you receive pre-approved credit cards in the mail, do you throw them away or use a shredder? If thrown away in tact, a thief could find it while dumpster diving and use it to steal your identity. With this type of information, thieves can use your name to create new accounts, apply for new credit cards, benefit financially, and then disappear before anyone can capture them.

Once you begin seeing signs of identity theft, chances are the thief has had plenty of time to run up debt and move around several times. Often, victims of identity theft don’t realize what’s happened until about 45 days or more after the theft occurred.

Requesting a 2 or 3 credit reports each year from the major credit report bureaus is encouraged to see if there are any signs of identity theft. If there is an account that isn’t yours listed on your report, then perhaps you will be able to limit the amount of damage done to your credit.

Signs of Identity Theft

The following are additional signs of identity theft to keep an eye out for:

If a creditor sends you a credit card statement and you don’t have an account with them, then this is a sign of identity theft. A phone call from a creditor you don’t belong with is a cause for concern as well. A thief may have used your name to open a new account without you knowing.

If you applied for a new credit card or loan and were denied, then find out why. This is especially the case if you have good credit and there was no good reason for you being denied. Check your credit as this could be a sign of identity theft.

Cash advance withdrawals on your credit card statement or unidentifiable charges are definite red flags. Contact the creditor immediately to find out where those charges came from.

Another sign of identity theft is not receiving a credit card statement when you normally should. If you didn’t get a statement, contact your creditor as it’s possible that a thief stole your identity and changed the mailing address.

Not protecting your information increases your risk of being an identity theft victim. Be cautious whenever giving out important personal details and monitor your credit periodically to lookout for signs of identity theft.