Identity theft can have a devastating impact on your life, affecting far more than just your pocketbook. Keep an eye out for these 6 warning signs that could mean your identity has been stolen.
1) Unexpected phone calls from creditors.
Identity theft can have a devastating impact on your life, affecting far more than just your pocketbook. Keep an eye out for these 6 warning signs that could mean your identity has been stolen. If you get a call from a creditor demanding payment for a purchase no one in your family made, have the caller give you all the information possible and investigate.
2) Strange credit card charges.
It's easier to spot these if you keep all your receipts and reconcile them with your statements each month.
3) Getting turned down for credit unexpectedly.
This is one of the more common ways people discover they've been victimized.
4) Account usernames and passwords or ATM PINs stop working.
This suggests that an identity thief may have changed your access codes.
5) Missing bills.
If bills from your accounts suddenly stop arriving, it could mean an identity thief has changed your address in order to use bank accounts without raising suspicion.
6) Strange information in your files.
If information in a personal file is not yours it could signal identity theft or it could be an innocent mistake. To avoid mistaken identity problems use your middle name or middle initial on accounts to distinguish you from others who have the same name.
