Privacy Means Profit: Prevent Identity Theft and Secure You and Your Bottom Line

Chapter 15. Recover Your Identity: When All Else Fails

This chapter lists the first and most crucial steps you must take if you are a victim of identity theft. It is important that you consult other resources and take more detailed action for your individual situation.

	Consumers are spending considerably more time on fraud resolution, up to an average of 30 hours in 2008. This increase may be attributed to the increased sophistication of fraud schemes.
	--"2009 Identity Fraud Survey Report," Javelin Strategy & Research

Most cases of identity theft are discovered by the victim, which reinforces the importance of monitoring your various accounts for suspicious behavior. Here is a list of the 15 most common warning signs suggesting that you might be a victim of identity theft or data breach.

Top 15 Ways to Detect Identity Theft

1. You receive a data breach notice in the mail from a company you do business with.

2. Your bills or statements are not arriving in your mail (or e-mail) on time.

3. You notice unauthorized charges on your credit card bill or debit card statement.

4. You notice new accounts or erroneous information on your credit report.

5. You are denied credit for a purchase.

6. You receive credit card bills for cards you don't own.

7. You are contacted by a collection agency about an item you didn't purchase.

8. You receive bills for unknown purchases, rental agreements, or services.

9. Businesses won't accept your check or credit card.

10. You are unable to set up new bank, loan, or brokerage accounts.

11. You notice ...