The Holiday Season can bring about a hidden crime. While you were out shopping or even online shopping, celebrating with family and friends and being joyous and happy, or traveling, someone else could have been out there stealing your identity. Things you should be looking for in the upcoming months are:
- Fraudulent charges on your credit card
- Weird mail coming to you in other people’s names
- Strange Inquiries on your credit report
- New accounts on your credit report
If you ever suspect that someone has fraudulently used one of your credit cards and you see purchases on your monthly statement, immediately contact your credit card company to dispute the charge and ask them to close the account number and issue you a new one.
If you see any of the above or you think something looks suspicious immediately dig into it further. Don’t let it sit and maybe turn into a bigger headache later. Contact the company listed, let them know you have never applied with them and ask them to close the account immediately.
Did you know you’re entitled to a free credit report once a year. And if you believe you have been a victim of identity theft, you are allowed to access your credit for free as many times needed.
You should minimally check your credit report once a year, if not twice. You should be looking for accounts that are unfamiliar opened against your name or social security number, alias names that you have never used and default charges.
Put credit freezes on your account with all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). It is FREE. It takes a few minutes of your time but well worth the headache of trying to repair your credit later. Go online to each of the listed credit bureaus I just mentioned and search “credit freeze” and it should take you to where you want to be.
Checking your credit report was emphasized in 2023 with many of the Neighborhood Watch emails and presentations. If you haven’t done it yet, put it on your agenda for 2024.