When discussing identity crimes with the public, one of the most common questions the ITRC receives is, “How do I know if I’m a victim of an identity crime?” Many victims contact the ITRC because they have been notified that someone attempted to use their identity to open an account or that an identity thief accessed and misused one of the victim’s accounts. Other victims discover they are victims when actively reviewing their accounts or trying to protect their information or accounts.
The ITRC has a simple checklist for anyone looking for signs that their information has been compromised and that they are the victims of an identity crime. The Center also has another checklist for anyone looking for signs that their identity is being misused. Below are some ways you may be notified by someone else that your identity has been compromised or misused and some active steps you can take to see if your information has been compromised or is being misused.
Watch for These Notifications
To determine if you are the victim of an identity crime, watch for a letter in the mail, an email or a text message that lets you know any of the following*:
- Your information was exposed in a data breach
- Someone attempted to access or use an account of yours, but it was denied by the account holder
- Your information was found on the dark web (through a dark web monitoring service or other notification)
- Someone attempted to open a new account in your name, but it was denied by the account holder
- An account in your name was sent to collections, but you have never had an account with that account holder
- You are ordered to appear in court for a crime you did not commit
- You owe money on an account that was not opened by you or for charges you did not make
*If you receive a message regarding any of the above, verify the message you received is legitimate by using contact information not listed in the message. Scammers often use the tactics above to make their victims believe something is wrong and ask their victims to share personal information to “recover” their accounts or make things right. Use a verified source to find contact information for the company that contacted you to ensure the notification you received is legitimate. For example, if it’s an account you own, check the back of the card that you have for that company if you have one, or log in separately from any link that may have been provided and look for notifications or contact the account holder through your verified login.
Active Steps to Take
It’s best to actively look for signs of identity compromise or misuse rather than relying only on an account holder’s notification. An identity thief may use only some of your information, like your name and Social Security number, but then use their own contact information, or fake contact information, or go into your account and change your contact information so you don’t receive a notification from the company that there may be suspicious activity.
Take the following steps to see if you are the victim of an identity crime:
- Check your credit report at annualcreditreport.com. Read this guide for more information about what to look for on your credit report that may indicate fraudulent activity involving a financial account.
- Get a background check. Though you may have to pay for this service, obtaining a background check may be worth the cost if you suspect criminal activity in your name or want to see what other activity may be reported as attached to your identity.
- Review all account statements, explanations of benefits, etc., to ensure that all activities shown on the statements are familiar and belong to you.
- Enter your email or phone number in the Have I Been Pwned search to see if your email or phone number has been involved in a data breach.
Contact the ITRC
It may feel like it’s better not to know if you’ve been a victim of an identity crime and to wait until you’ve been notified to act. However, by actively checking your information and taking protective measures to secure your personal information, you make it harder for bad actors to cause additional harm.
If you have questions about the steps above, contact an ITRC Advisor. You can speak with one toll-free by calling or texting 888.400.5530 or visiting our website to live chat during our regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. PST. You can leave a message for an advisor if you contact us outside of our business hours, and we will respond the next business day. Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.
