The first question is, how in the world do you know that your information has been stolen. Be diligent about your personal information, especially your financial records. Here are some tips to follow.

1.     Each month, review your credit card and bank statements to look for potential mistakes or problems there. If you notice problems, contact your lender or bank to request more information.

2.     Be diligent about your credit report. In the United States, you may obtain a copy of your credit report one time every year from each of the three top credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). This means that one time every four months, you can obtain a credit report from one of these companies to check for problems. Three times per year (if you space it out), you should be able to check your report to learn of any potential problems.

3.     Note any problems with your mail. If your mail stops being delivered or you are having constant problems with receiving your mail regularly, contact the post office. Generally, it is not the postal worker that is the problem!

These are just three of the most common ways that people find information out about themselves. It is easy to mistake this type of information for just mistakes. The bank made a mistake. My husband must have made that purchase. The postman is always losing my mail! The problem is that this could all be an indication of a larger problem. The sooner you realize it is happening, the sooner you can stop it.

There are often other ways you will be alerted to the changes occurring. Most consumers are unaware of any of the problems they have because they are not diligently doing any of the three items above. This is costly. In these instances, you may learn of the identity theft in other ways.

For example, you may not find out about the identity theft until you have a creditor calling your home demanding money for an account that you do not know is your own. In this case, respond to them as quickly as possible. Legally, there are requirements for lenders to allow you to fight any claim as being legitimate by filing a complaint within 30 days of being notified. Remember, you may not be receiving the mail and details of such accounts, so as soon as they call, react.

Another instance where you will find out that your personal information has been stolen is when you go to apply for a loan. You hope to purchase a home, so you apply for a mortgage. You want to open a new line of credit to do some repairs. You try to open a new credit card or buy a vehicle, but you are declined, even though you make your payments on time and should have a good credit score. The problem is, your credit history has been ruined by the identity thieves, and you are left unable to get the credit you want and need.

Other times, you may be alerted to problems when you get information about accounts you do not own, an apartment you have not rented out, a house you’ve never owned, or similar information in the mail. If anything like this happens, do not chalk it up as this information was just sent to the wrong person. Investigate these occurrences to ensure that someone is not using your name.

Think You Are A VictIm? 

If you feel that any of these situations may have happened to you or you want to be sure that they have not, there are several things you should do:

1.     Get a copy of your credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com and verify that your information is accurate. This is the only website approved by the government under applicable laws to provide you with a free credit report from each of the three national credit reporting agencies. Your credit report is the telltale location to learn more.

2.     If you have been violated, contact the police. Fill out a police report right away so that investigative teams can begin the search for the person.

3.     Notify your creditors. Let them know what is happening so they can freeze the accounts or otherwise stop the problem. Most companies have specific plans in place and procedures to follow in order to stop these criminals from stealing from you, though your creditors will want to verify any information that you provide.

4.     Dispute any charges that you may have. Charges on your credit report are legally able to be disputed. Most lenders will not require you to pay for debts you did not incur, but you do have to file a dispute.

5.     Do not try to pursue this person on your own. Rather, take the lead of the police.

In some cases, you will need to get the help of an attorney, especially if there are any legal actions being taken against you, such as criminal charges or collection activities. 

<< Previous    1  2  [3]  4  5    Next >>