Identity theft is a very serious crime that can take quite a bit of money away from you or ruin your credit
. If you suspect that this might be happening to you, you need to act immediately to prevent further damage. Find out what you might consider doing if this is something that is happening to you.
First of all, report the crime. This shows that you felt something was going on that was suspicious. Many forget to do this which can complicate interactions with debt collectors. If you show that you thought a crime was happening, it shows that any money borrowed is likely the criminal and not you.
Monitor your credit reports. You can get one free report each year that you can look at. Keep in touch with what is going on with your credit. This will help you find out what identify theft is happening and when you need to do something about it.
Contact bank and tell them about your fears. Your bank will be able to point you in the right direction so that you can find out what you need to do to stop certain loans or credit issues that have already happened.
Change your account and credit card numbers when you notice suspicious activity going on with certain accounts. If you do this, it can help limit losses. These are the same steps you take if you feel someone stole your wallet.
Put out fraud alerts on your credit report. This will notify lenders that they might not want to give out new loans because there is fraud on the account. This will make everything more secure for you.
If you get a debt collector wanting payment for some loan that you never actually agreed to, be sure that you get the name, address, phone number, and any other information that was given to them. This is something that you can do that will help law enforcement catch the criminal.
Identity theft is a serious crime that causes quiet a few problems. Find out what you need to do if you think that this is happening to you to help protect yourself.