#2 – REVIEW YOUR CREDIT REPORTS

Get all three of your credit reports if you suspect that an identity thief has obtained your personal information and may be using it to open credit cards, apply for loans, or purchase goods and services in your name. You can get your credit reports once a year for free by visiting the official government website www.annualcreditreport.com. However, this central source does not offer 24/7/365 credit monitoring. Remember, different errors may appear on each of the three different credit reports making it important to monitor them all. Also, changes to your credit report may occur at any time throughout the year. Closely review each report from TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Print them out and highlight any strange accounts you don’t recognize, search inquiries you did not authorize, and any incorrect personal data such as address, name, or Social Security number. If it’s clear that someone has been using your personal information to open accounts in your name, see the checklist for additional steps.