There are a few signs that you can look for that might indicate possible identity theft:
- Failing to receive bills or other mail on time, or at all. This may signal that an identity thief has submitted a change of address to divert your mail.
- Being served court papers or arrest warrants for actions you did not commit.
- Receiving credit cards for which you did not apply.
- Being denied credit, a job, or a rental agreement for an apartment for no apparent reason.
- Receiving calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you did not buy.
Any of these signs could occur simply because of human error - a typo when entering someone else's data into a computer or misspelling a name. However, you should check into each of these occurrences to make sure that a simple error caused these mistakes. Always call a business or institution directly to clear up any potential problems - do not give out your personal information over the phone to anyone who claims to be from a business unless you initiated the call and can verify you are speaking to that business.
