The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports there were 9 million cases of identity theft last year with losses to consumers of more than $5 billion. The simplest kind is credit card fraud, which accounts for over 60% of identity theft.
Get your free credit report
Check for identity theft by reviewing your credit report at least once a year. You can get a free credit report every 12 months by calling (877) 322-8228 or online and the Annual Credit Report web site.
Protect yourself
Review your credit report for accounts you did not open and for account balances that are suspiciously high.
Only carry the credit and identification cards you need. Make copies of the cards you carry and keep them in a safe place. If your wallet disappears, you will have the information you need to report them as lost or stolen.
Do not respond to e-mail messages or telephone calls asking for personal and financial information.
Identity theft warning signs
Here are the most common signs of identity theft:
Your credit card statement has charges you did not make.
You get bills for accounts you never opened.
You are denied credit for no apparent reason.
Money is missing from your bank account.
If your identity is stolen
Get a copy of your credit report. Note accounts you did not open and account balances that are suspiciously high. Contact the major credit reporting companies. Ask them to place a ?Fraud Alert? on your report. This alerts businesses to verify your identity before issuing credit and stops thieves from opening new accounts in your name.
File an ?Identity Theft Police Report? at your local police station and keep a copy.
Contact companies that have reported accounts you did not open or charges you didn't make. Send them a copy of your police report and a certified letter disputing the fraudulent charges.