Though I have already covered this subject, but as ID fraud is quite common after tax season, I think this article will be your daily dose. As all of you know, identity theft can be devastating in your life. It can appear in many forms such as credit card fraud, fake credit application, fake use of medicare, tax fraud so on. Moreover, identity theft arise some acute problems that may take long time to solve. So, try to be more careful while handling SSN, credit card details, forms of loan application. However, those who are a victim of identity theft, other than taking action to negotiate creditors you need to take some other important decisions.
How to understand if your identity has been stolen
These are some warning signs to understand whether or not your address has been changed or you have fallen into the identity theft trap:
- If you are getting credit cards without even applying for those,
- If you get calls from creditors about payments on items that you have never purchased,
- If you realise your existing credit card interests have been increased all of a sudden,
- If you don’t find your credit card bills.
What actions you should take after identity theft
New bank accounts can get opened in your name after this kind of fraud. You need to take some prompt actions to stop further loss. Such as:
- Try to find any kind of unauthorized withdrawal on your credit report,
- Check any new accounts reported onto your credit report,
- Inform the creditors as soon as possible ( within 2 days),
- Ask the creditors to lock the accounts and to change all privacy details,
- Request your creditor to to close down your stolen accounts,
- Inform the local police and file a complaint,
- You need to file another complaint with the Federal Trade Commission,
- You should place a fraud alert on all of the credit reports,
- Try to review your credit reports on a regular basis.
Final words
You can also file your identity theft complaint online. But first of all you need to be very protective and find out some remedies to prevent credit card fraud in future. You need to keep close watch on your credit bills in order to avoid such fraudulent activities. Try not to disclose SSN to anyone including account numbers or other personal information. Don’t trust any phone calls from companies claiming to be collection agencies. Don’t give them your account number or Social Security Number.