First Signs that You May Be an Identity Theft Victim

According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), here are a couple of possible indicators of identity theft: 

• Failing to receive bills or other mail.  This could mean that a an ID thief has submitted a change of address.
• Denial of credit for no apparent reason
• Receiving calls from debt collectors or companies about merchandise or services you didn’t buy
• Receiving credit cards for which you didn’t apply

If any of these “red flags” appear, you may have become an identity theft victim.

You can exercise some damage-control by requesting a copy of your credit report right away.  If an identity thief is indeed opening accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report.

Tip:  If any of your sensitive data has been lost or stolen recently, you’ll want to check all of your reports more frequently during the first year.