Signs of Identity Theft

For more than three decades, Robert M. Ryerson has been working in the financial industry. A Certified Financial Fiduciary at New Century Planning, Robert M. Ryerson also teaches about identity protection and has written a book entitled What’s the Deal with Identity Theft?

Here are a few signs that you may be the victim of identity theft:

- Unexplained denial of credit. Any denial of credit that you don’t understand may be a sign that your identity has been stolen. Identity theft can lower your credit score and negatively impact your credit history without your knowledge, leading to denied credit.

- Bills from unknown accounts. If you receive a bill for a credit card you know nothing about or if you get calls from creditors about debts you didn’t charge, someone may have opened accounts in your name without your knowledge. Contact the card issuer right away to close the accounts. Check your credit reports to see what else you can do.

- Missing mail. Rerouting mail from your address to a different address is a simple way to gain information about you. This is particularly worrying if you have credit card bills or bank statements sent to you by mail. Always notify your credit card issuer and bank if statements stop appearing on time, and make sure your mailbox is secure so no one can steal your mail.

- Unauthorized transactions. All credit card, brokerage, and bank accounts should be closely monitored for unauthorized transactions. The sooner you catch these transactions, the sooner you can file a police report.