Detecting Identity Theft

Be vigilant against identity theft by regarding the following events as an alarm:

  • You find charges on statements for items you did not buy.
  • Creditors contact you about non-payment of a bill that you believe you have paid.
  • A debt collector or business contacts you about purchases you did not make.
  • You are approved or denied credit for accounts you never requested.
  • A bill or other expected mail fails to arrive. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has changed your billing address.
  • You receive credit cards you didn’t apply for.
  • A collection agency contacts you about non-payment on an account you never opened.
  • You are denied credit or you are offered less favorable credit terms (for example, a high-interest rate) for no apparent reason.
  • You have missing cards (credit, ATM, debit) or other identifying information such as licenses or membership IDs.

Go to Identity Theft main page.

Go to Safe Computing at NC State.