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How Can I Tell if I'm a Victim of Identity Theft?
Monitor the balances of your
financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals. Other indications
of identity theft can be:
-
failing to receive bills or other mail
signaling an address change by the identity thief;
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receiving credit cards for which you did
not apply;
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denial of credit for no apparent reason; or
-
receiving calls from debt collectors or
companies about merchandise or services you didn’t buy.
ARE
THERE ANY
OTHER STEPS
I CAN TAKE?
If an identity thief is opening new credit accounts in your name, these accounts are
likely to show up on your credit report.
You can find out by ordering a copy of your credit report from any of three major
credit bureaus. If you find inaccurate information, check your reports from the other two credit bureaus. Of course, some
inaccuracies on your credit reports may be because of computer, clerical, or other
errors and may not be a result of identity theft. Note: If your personal information
has been lost or stolen, you may want to check all of your reports more frequently
for the first year. Federal law allows credit bureaus to charge you up to $9 for a copy
of your credit report. Some states may allow a free report or reduced rates.
To order your credit reports:
Equifax . www.equifax.com
1-800-685-1111
Experian . www.experian.com
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
TransUnion . www.transunion.com
1-800-916-8800
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