Saturday, I presented a few key tips to avoid Identity Theft. Today, we'll discuss a few signs to determine if you have been a victim of identity theft
Signs that require your immediate attention:
- Missing Bills. Because you take great care in knowing when your bills are due, you can tell pretty quickly if a bill does not arrive. It may have been lost in the mail or some other mix up. If your bill does not arrive as scheduled, check up on it. Note: A missed bill does not relieve you of your payment obligation. Sign up to receive online bills if offered by the provider and you don't run the risk of having bills lost in the mail or stolen from your mailbox.
- Unexpected Bills. Receive a bill in the mail for a credit card you never applied for or for a card you haven't used in a long time? You may have been a victim of identity theft and you'll need to take steps to clear your good name.
- Unexpected Denial of Credit. Think your credit is excellent and then you get turned down for a credit card or home loan? You need to pull your credit report A.S.A.P to see what the problem is. Have you been a victim of identity theft or did you just forget to pay a credit card bill?
- Unexpected Phone Calls. Getting calls from a bill collector and you don't have an overdue bill? It could be a mix up or it could be identity theft. Check your credit report.
What is the best way to keep tabs on your credit? Check out AnnualCreditReport.com to get a free credit report once a year from each of the 3 major credit bureaus. You only get a free report and not a credit score. If you require more frequent updates like me or like to know your credit scores, consider using a paid credit report monitoring service like Equifax 3-in-1 Credit Watch Gold or all 3 Scores and Credit Reports from myFico.com. These services help you to quickly identify potential identity theft by alerting you to major changes in your credit.
Related Posts:
Avoiding Identity Theft - Part 1
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Everyone should at least get their credit report once a year since it's free.
If you're done debting, you should consider freezing your bureaus so no new debt can be issued. (Prevents some but not all identity theft and fraud.)