How can I tell if my identity has been stolen?

There are a number of events that alert you to possible identity theft. You may experience some or all of the following:

• You find charges on statements for items you did not buy.
• Creditors contact you about non-payment of a bill that you believe you have paid.
• A debt collector or business contacts you about purchases you did not make.
• You are approved or denied credit for accounts that you never requested.
• A bill or other expected mail fails to arrive. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has changed your billing address.
• You receive credit cards that you didn't apply for.
• A collection agency contacts you about non-payment on an account that you never opened.
• You are denied credit or are offered less favorable credit terms (e.g., high interest rate) for no apparent reason.
• You have missing cards (credit, ATM, debit) or other identifying information such as licenses or membership IDs.

Go to Identity Theft main page.

Content last updated April 28, 2005 by dlschmid
Page last modified May 23, 2005 by cawalker