Right now, someone could be using your identity to start a new
credit card, to get a loan, to drain your checking or savings
account. In some cases, you might not find out about the theft
for weeks, sometimes even months. Unfortunately, the longer it
takes to discover the crime, the more damage will be done and
the harder it will be to rectify that damage.
Thankfully, there are some ways for you to detect identity theft
before the problems progress too far. Below are some of those
methods.
1. Errors on your credit report – By checking your credit report
yearly, you’ll be able to determine if anyone is opening up
accounts in your name without your permission. Otherwise, you
may not learn there is a problem until you need to take out
credit.
2. Mail problems – One of the least-technological ways to commit
identity theft is stealing mail. If you aren’t receiving mail or
if you aren’t getting items in the mail that you are expecting,
such as credit card bills, then you may be a victim of identity
theft.
3. Being rejected for credit you didn’t request – As you may
already know, if a creditor rejects your request for credit, he
or she must send you a letter in the mail explaining the reason
for the rejection. If you begin getting these letters, but you
haven’t been requesting credit, then that’s a good sign someone
is using your identity.
4. Being the victim of pretexting – Pretexting is a scheme
involving the Internet or the telephone. Someone contacts you
claiming to be a legitimate organization’s representative, then
they’ll ask for your personal information, possibly a PIN number
or a checking account number. If that has happened to you and
you’ve given out that information, then there’s a good chance
you’ll be a victim in the near future.
5. Changes in your credit balances or checking account amounts -
Unexplained changes in any of your financial accounts should be
a big signal to you that something is not right. That’s why it’s
a good idea to check all of your balances weekly and compare
them to your estimates. As soon as you spot a discrepancy, you
need to follow up with your financial institution.
6. Being denied credit – Sadly, some people don’t discover they
have been identity theft victims until they go to buy a car, get
a second mortgage, or open a new credit card. If you thought you
had good credit but are getting denied, then it’s a good time to
check your credit reports, even if you’ve already done your
yearly check.
7. Being contacted by debt collectors – When you start getting
calls or letters about unpaid debts, which you don’t recall
having, you should never automatically pay them. Instead, send a
written request for more information about the debt. By law, the
creditor must supply you with this information.
8. Having some types of spyware on your computer – While not all
spyware leads to identity theft, you need to realize that it can
pose a serious threat to your privacy. Your passwords, credit
card information, and online activities could have been
monitored by unknown third parties, which leave you vulnerable
to an attack.
If you want to learn more about how to detect and prevent
identity theft or if you have been an identity theft victim, you
need to read Identity Theft: A Resource Guide from
PCSecurityNews.com. The ebook is available at
http://www.PCSecurityNews.com.
About the author:
Author Howard Goff teaches how to reduce the risk of Identity
Theft in his e-Book “Identity Theft, A Resource Guide”. He also
has more than 15 years of Internet involvement and 3 years of
specialize experience in the security industry. He founded
http://www.pcsecuritynews.com/ in 2003 where he offers advice
and Spyware Removal
(http://www.PCSecurityNews.com/spywareremover.html?ht=xgaa03)
tools to hundreds of thousands of people.