Identity theft is the illegal use of someone else’s personal information or property such as a social security number to obtain credit or money.
Here are signs of identity theft.
• Receiving calls from debt collectors about services or merchandise you did not buy.
• Getting credit cards in the mail that you did not apply for.
• Not receiving your bills or other credit related mail. If you did not receive a bill, this could mean that a identity thief has taken over your account and has changed your billing address.
• Inaccurate or fraudulent information showing up on your credit report
• Getting denied for credit or offered bad terms for no apparent reason
How to find out if your identity has been stolen
In most cases most consumers find out about identity theft after it’s already happened.
• You may find out when you get something in the mail about a house you never owed, a job you never had or a apartment you never rented
• You may find out when you apply for a car or mortgage and discover that you have problems with your credit worthiness.
• You may find out when a collection companies start calling you at home for work for past due debts that you have never incurred.
Items you should monitor regularly
You can avoid identity theft by early detection. You should keep an eye out for any strange activity my monitoring all your information regularly.
Your credit reports. Your credit report will contain information about you, including all your accounts with creditors. Under federal law you have access to your free credit report every 12 months. If identity theft is taking place with your name, it will show up on your report. To get a copy of your credit reports go to www.annualcreditreport.com
Financial statements. Always monitor your financial statements such as bank statements, investment accounts, credit card statements, etc…. regularly for charges you did not make.
CreditScoreQuick.com
