Warning Signs That May Indicate You’ve Become a Victim

Anyone is fair game to become an identity theft victim. However, many military families are at an increased risk simply because their personal information is distributed more often than their civilian counterparts.

For example, each time you PCS there’s a high probability that you’ll create new accounts, which often involves filling out a variety of paperwork and forms.

Most doctors, dentists, hospitals, labs, radiology centers, and therapists require new patients to list their social security numbers, driver’s license number, birth date, and contact information on the registration forms. What this means is that you’re essentially leaving a trail of very personal, identifying information scattered throughout the country and in some cases, the world.

Warning Signs of Identity Theft
Besides obvious signs such as receiving bills for accounts you never opened or discovering unauthorized charges on your existing credit card accounts, there are other less subtle signs that may indicate you’ve become a victim of identity theft.

To better protect yourself be on the lookout for:

Credit denial letters from companies that you’ve never sought credit from.

Bank statements or bills not arriving in the mail.

Phone calls or letters from companies or collection agencies regarding purchases you’ve never made.

Denied authorizations when using a credit card that’s in good standing.

Besides paying attention to the warning signs, it’s always a good idea to review your credit report annually. By law, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are required to supply individuals with one free credit report each year. However, the reports are not automatically generated or mailed. To receive a free credit report, you must request it.

Requesting Your Credit Report
Equifax, Experian and TransUnion have teamed up and created an official, centralized service where consumers may request a free copy of their credit report. To accomplish this, either visit AnnualCreditReport.com; call 1-877-322-8228; or write to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281