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Report Identity Theft By Knowing the Signs
Signs of identity theft can come in different forms, so be aware and
report identity theft as soon as you can. They can appear as bank
statements from unknown accounts, credit reports with cards or loans
you don't know about, or calls from a collection agency looking for
money you don't recall owing. All tips can lead to financial ruin
and tarnishing your name because you were a victim of identity
theft.
The first sign of identity theft could be a change in your billing
cycle and act as a red flag to tell you it's time to report identity
theft. When your bills stop arriving on schedule, you need to find
out why. Contrary to popular belief, not all the criminals working
to steal your name and money use online identity theft. You need to
be concerned when there's a change in your billing cycle.
The one thing we can count on is that bills always arrive on time.
Late bills are a warning sign and you should report identity theft
immediately. Contact any companies as soon as you realize a bill is
late so you can verify your actual billing date with them. This can
tell you if a thief has changed your billing date from identity
theft or whether bills are being sent to a new address to try and
hide the fact your personal information has been stolen.
Contact the post office. You should let them know you feel you might
have been the victim of identity theft through stolen mail. Offer a
list of missing bills and let them know when the bill should have
arrived at the post office.
In today's society, it pays to monitor your bills and statements.
Now that consumers have the option of banking online, it becomes
easy to keep an eye on anything irregular to see the immediate
effects of online identity theft.
A more serious sign of identity theft could involve having your
credit denied for a large purchase. The best way to minimize fallout
from identity theft is to review your credit card and bank
statements monthly and to check your credit report at least
annually. The sooner you report identity theft, the better.
Check out every credit card statement you receive in the mail.
Sometimes unauthorized changes may appear on your account, or
perhaps the account number on the statement is different from the
number on your card. If this is the case, report identity theft to
your credit card company immediately for an explanation. You may
have become the unwilling victim of identity fraud.
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