How can I tell if I'm a victim of identity theft? Monitor the balances of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals. Other indications of identity theft include: failing to receive bills or other mail, which may signal an address change by the identity thief, receiving credit cards for which you did not apply, being denied credit for no apparent reason, or receiving calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you did not buy. Although any of these indications could be a result of a simple error, you should not assume that there’s been a mistake and do nothing. Always follow up with the business or institution to find out. Are there any other steps I can take to make sure I'm not an identity theft victim? If an identity thief is opening new credit accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You can find out by ordering a copy of your credit report from any of three major credit bureaus. Check your report carefully to make sure it is accurate. See What should I look for on a credit report to indicate identity theft? If you do find any inaccurate information, you should check your reports from the other two credit bureaus. Note: If your personal information has been lost or stolen, you should check all of your reports more frequently for the first year