How to Know if Your Identity Has Been Stolen

When your house or car is broken into, the crime is immediately obvious. A broken window, missing possessions, or a set-off alarm are all signs that you've been burglarized. But identity theft is different. A victim of this "silent crime" might not know for months or even years that something is afoot. An identity thief could be busily applying for credit and making purchases in your name without your knowledge.

While you can reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim, there is no way to fully prevent identity theft. Your best defense is to learn about the crime as soon as possible, which makes repairing the damage easier. But how do you know if it's happened to youm? You have to be able to recognize the signs.

Here, we list out all of the potential warning signs of identity theft, so you can stop the crime in its tracks before it further damages your credit. 

Your monthly credit card or bank statements show unauthorized charges.

If you see transactions you don't recognize, call the number listed next to the charge. Once you confirm that you didn't buy the product or service, contact your credit card company to alert them of the fraudulent charge. You may need to deactivate your account and open a new one.

Your credit report lists unauthorized credit inquiries and/or accounts.

Review your credit report regularly to be on the lookout for accounts and search inquiries from financial institutions you don't recognize. It's possible that an identity thief has used your personal information to open (or attempt to open) a new credit card or loan in your name. Or, the credit bureau could have mixed your file with that of someone who has a similar name or Social Security number. Contact the financial institutions behind the accounts or inquiries, explaining that you did not authorize this and you want the account closed and removed from your report. Contact the credit bureaus, as well, to have the unauthorized inquiry or account removed from your credit reports. Follow up with both the financial institution and bureaus in writing.   

You receive credit cards in the mail for which you did not apply, or mail concerning assets you know nothing about, like other houses, apartments, or jobs.

This could be a sign that someone is applying for credit or buying goods and services in your name. Contact the financial institution or debt collector behind the account or asset and inquire further. Order and review your credit reports from all three bureaus to look for unauthorized accounts and credit inquiries. 

You are denied new credit or loans, or offered poor credit terms, for no apparent reason.

This could mean that an identity thief has driven your credit into the ground by racking up debt in your name and skipping out on the bills. Order and review your credit reports to look for strange accounts and inquiries.

Your mail is delivered sporadically, and you notice you’re not receiving your monthly statements from your bank or credit card company.

Mail fraud is increasingly common: Thieves raid your mailbox for personal information that they can then use to defraud you. Contact your bank or credit card company to verify that it sent your paper statement. If it did, contact your local post office to report missing/stolen mail. Stay vigilant by picking up your mail as soon as it is delivered, and check your credit reports regularly to ensure a thief is not busy at work. 

You've lost (or had stolen) your wallet, checks or other sensitive documents.

Be proactive when you have missing credit cards, debit cards, checks, driver's license, or other important documents. Contact your banks to close the endangered accounts and open new ones. Place stop payments on all missing checks, and alert the major check verification companies. Contact your local DMV to report and replace a missing license. If you are worried that a fraudster is using your Social Security card or number to apply for employment or take advantage of government benefits in your name, contact the Social Security Administration. If you suspect your SSN is being used to open fraudulent financial accounts, contact the Federal Trade Commission. To check for fraudulent accounts, pull your credit reports from all three bureaus and look for strange accounts or credit checks you did not agree to. 

You've been notified that your information was compromised in a corporate security breach.

Data breaches are increasingly common these days, as hackers get more and more sophisticated and are able to break into even the most secure databases to steal records for millions of consumers. When this happens, the company that was victimized by the breach is legally obligated to notify all of it customers who were compromised. Take advantage of any free credit monitoring the company offers, or enroll in a service on your own.

Consider a credit monitoring service.

A credit monitoring service is really a good idea whether you've been affected by identity theft or not. Instead of having to remember to regularly check your credit reports for signs of fraud, a credit monitoring service checks for you. It will send you alerts whenever credit activity happens in your name, like an address change, credit check, new account opening, or posting of negative information and public records. With credit monitoring, you can make sure you authorized each and every action to your credit.