Your local police department can issue a formal report, which you may need to get your bank or other financial institution to reverse fraudulent charges. Start by contacting law enforcement to file a report. However it comes to your attention, you can act fast to minimize what happens. Or you may use a credit monitoring service like ours and receive an alert of suspicious activity. It may be an unusual charge on one of your cards, however small. There are several signs that your identity has been stolen, from a change in your credit score to receiving unfamiliar bills and debt collectors calling about unfamiliar new accounts. Steps to take if you think your identity has been stolen You can also protect yourself by using preventive measures and engaging in smart online behavior. The good news is that being able to recognize the signs of identity theft means you can act quickly to intervene and minimize any effects in case it happens to you. You don’t have to be kept in the dark, though. With data like this, an individual can adopt your identity (or even create a fake identity using pieces of your personal profile) and apply for loans, credit cards, debit cards, and more. This could include private details like your birth date, bank account information, Social Security number, home address, and more. Identity theft victims may even experience an impact to their mental health as they work to resolve their case. It can also affect employment opportunities since some employers conduct a credit check on top of drug testing and a criminal history check. This is a criminal act and can affect your credit score in a negative way and cost money to fix. And that’s truer today when it comes to life online as cybercriminals use the internet to steal financial or personal data for their personal gain-otherwise known as identity theft. It’s been like this from the start-wherever people shop, do business, or simply gather together, you’ll find thieves in the mix, ready to take advantage.
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