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.
After months of searching, you’ve finally found it: the elusive perfect apartment, and it’s yours pending a routine credit check. You’re practically planning your housewarming party when the landlord calls you to tell you your application has been rejected. You’re crushed, but more importantly you’re worried and upset. Could you be the victim of identity theft?
Every year, millions of lives are financially hijacked by a stolen identity. Here are 9 warning signs that it might be happening to you:
If your rental, loan, or credit card application gets rejected and you have historically good credit, it could be an indication that someone is using your identity and wrecking your credit score. Similarly, if you lose out on a job opportunity at the very last minute, it might be a good time to check things out.
Nobody likes being sick. But imagine having your legitimate health claim denied by your health insurance company because they say you’ve reached your health plan limit. Many identity thieves will use their victims’ health plans to collect money or narcotic prescriptions for a chronic illness they don’t even have.
If you’re getting mail from businesses or banks that you don’t do business with, it’s time to play detective. In addition to using your identity, thieves may even use your address, footing you with both the burden––and the actual bill.
The only thing worse than finding a bill in your mailbox is not finding it. When your mail starts going missing in transit, you have the right to be concerned. As often as identity thieves use your address to deflect payment for their thrills, they’ll use your mail as a means to collect your private information, rendering you an easy target.
This is a clear indicator. If collection agencies come a-calling, there are dues that have been in your name for a while. Swift action is essential: report errors on your credit score and file a report with the FTC.
Nobody’s judging you. We’ve all looked at our bank statement and thought, “when did I do that?” But if you’ve noticed several withdrawals that you’re pretty sure weren’t you, it’s probably time to contact your bank. And don’t just look for outrageous deficits; thieves are smart, adaptive, and just as likely to take small amounts at a time in hopes that you won’t notice.
Fraudulent charges are perhaps the most familiar form of theft. But there’s a big difference between having your atm card stolen and having someone hijack your identity. If you start noticing charges that you don’t recognize on your bank statement, cancel your card, but stay vigilant…don’t assume it’s a one-off thing.
Identity theft can look like a lot of different things, but a fairly common materialization is when someone uses your social security number to file income taxes, clearing the way for them to claim your hard-earned, much-anticipated tax return.
Unless you live under an exceptionally comfortable rock, you’ve probably heard about the Equifax data breach, which left the private information of millions of users vulnerable in 2017. At the time it seemed like a really big deal, but in reality it wasn’t exactly an isolated incident. In fact, the vast majority of information breaches come from corporate databases. So if a company or bank you do business with has a breach, take action and set up some additional security measures.
If you’re concerned about your credit, you can check your three credit reports for free once a year. To track your credit more regularly, Credit.com’s free Credit Report Card is an easy-to-understand breakdown of your credit report information that uses letter grades—plus you get two free credit scores updated every 14 days.
You can also carry on the conversation on our social media platforms. Like and follow us on Facebook and leave us a tweet on Twitter.
Image credit: scyther5
September 13, 2021
Uncategorized
August 4, 2021
Uncategorized
January 28, 2021
Uncategorized