If you are a victim of identity theft, you can minimize damage to your name,
finances and credit history by detecting it early. To do so, you should begin
taking the following actions immediately.
Monitor Financial Statements
Carefully monitor activity on your bank, credit card and other
financial institution accounts. Review transactions often and carefully
for unexplained charges or withdrawals. Dispute anything that looks suspicious.
This is the most common way victims discover misuse of their identity. Some banks,
credit card companies and financial institutions offer a transaction monitoring
service and alerts that electronically notify you when certain account activities occur.
Review Your Credit Report
Order your credit report at least once each year and review it carefully. The Annual Credit
Report Request Service is a central contact for requesting your annual credit report. It was
created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and
TransUnion.
Visit the site at www.annualcreditreport.com to request a free annual credit report. You are
entitled to a free credit report at any time if you have been denied credit, are a victim of identity
theft, receive welfare benefits or are unemployed but expect to apply for employment in the next 60
days.
- Make sure all personal information is correct such as
names, addresses and phone numbers.
- Make sure all listed accounts are yours.
- Check inquiries on your report to see if they look suspicious or seem excessive.
Examine Your Mail
Scrutinize your mail for signs of identity theft.
- Have you received credit cards for which you did not apply?
- Are financial account statements missing?
- Have you failed to receive new credit cards as expected
when current cards are about to expire?
- Have you received letters from debt collectors or businesses
about merchandise or services you did not purchase?
If any of these situations arise, follow up quickly with creditors.
An identity thief may be tampering with your accounts.
For More Information
See Identity Theft — Resources For More Information.
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Basic Money Management
Basic Money Management
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