The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
While you secure your identity by password-protecting your accounts and only giving your information to organizations that need it, there are still ways that identity thieves can steal your personal data. Not only can you go long periods without noticing you’ve been a victim, criminals could ring up excess charges that could damage your credit for years.
Although it’s easy to think that a billing company made a mistake, you should follow up on any late payment notices or other red flags that could indicate you are an identity theft victim.
Here are five little warning signs of identity theft you shouldn’t ignore.
Although you might regularly check up on your bank account, there’s a chance that identity thieves may have stolen your credit card information — either through a company data breach or ATM skimming. With your information, thieves could use your debit or credit card in another state or overseas without thinking of the consequences, resulting in potential overdraw fees. Sign up for bank alerts to know as soon as you are charged a fee so you can notify your bank of fraud.
With all the bills you might receive, a medical bill doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. However, if it is from a hospital or doctor you don’t recognize, this could be a sign of medical identity theft. Confirm with your insurance company or medical provider when you received these services and whether the bill is a mistake.
While the IRS has fraud detection technology for tax returns, some fake tax files might still slip through. A late tax return may suggest that the IRS is reviewing a duplicate return using your information, which may stem from tax fraud identity theft. In case your tax return is delayed due to identity theft, you should report the fraud immediately to the IRS Identity Theft Protection Specialized Unit.
Some thieves target unsecured mailboxes to take mail that contains personal information. If you were expecting a piece of mail to come in with your tax info or other sensitive data and didn’t receive it, follow up with the sender. You could also contact local police and your closest Postal Inspection Service office, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The FTC also highlighted another troubling sign of identity theft: a rejection of a medical claim. Your health insurer may not approve a claim if someone else maxed out your benefits limit. Make sure to contact your insurer to challenge this and get things straight.
A great way to keep an eye out for identity theft signs is by monitoring your bank and credit accounts regularly by using free transactional monitoring alerts. You can also monitor your credit scores for changes every month for free on Credit.com.
Image: iStock
October 19, 2023
Identity Theft and Scams
May 17, 2022
Identity Theft and Scams
May 20, 2021
Identity Theft and Scams