Billing Warning Signs Of Identity Theft
Posted on December 7, 2007
Being a victim of identity theft can equal financial ruin. Calls from collection agencies, bank or credit card statements with unusual transactions, or unknown bad credit showing up on your credit report are all signs of identity theft. However, some more subtle signs can give you clues before anything leads to identity theft that empties your accounts.
The first sign of identity theft could be a change in your billing cycle. When your bills stop arriving on schedule, you need to find out why. Contrary to popular belief, not all the criminals working to steal your name and money use online identity theft. You need to be concerned when there’s a change in your billing cycle.
The one thing we can count on is that bills always arrive on time. Late bills are a warning sign of identity theft. Contact any companies as soon as you realize a bill is late so you can verify your actual billing date with them.
This can tell you if a thief has changed your billing date from identity theft or whether bills are being sent to a new address to hide the fact your personal information has been stolen.
Contact the post office. You should let them know you feel you might have been the victim of identity theft through stolen mail. Offer a list of missing bills and let them know when the bill should have arrived at the post office.
In today’s society, it pays to monitor your bills and statements. Now that consumers have the option of banking online, it’s easier to keep an eye on anything irregular to see the immediate effects of online theft.
A more serious sign of identity theft could involve having your credit denied for a large purchase. The best way to minimize fallout from such theft is to review your credit card and bank statements monthly and to check your credit report at least annually.
If you begin to receive credit card statements in your name that you don’t recognize or if you notice any unauthorized changes to your account, contact your credit card company and the credit bureau immediately to begin an investigation.
Taking fast action is necessary to making sure you aren’t financially ruined by fraud. Just because you’ve become a victim of identity theft doesn’t mean you have to remain a victim.
Get all the information you need on the signs of identity theft from Mike Selvon’s identity theft portal, and leave a comment at his identity theft blog.
Tags: identity theft, of identity theft
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