There’s a reason why ID theft is on the rise in the US. By the time someone realizes they’ve fallen victim, the damage has already been done.

While there’s no easy way to check for identity theft, there are telltale signs to watch out for. One of them is getting emails or letters about new accounts or transactions you don’t recognize. Your first thought may be to consider them scams and ignore them.

So, how can you tell if they’re legit? Look at the return address. Spam emails may have weird return addresses on them.

Plus, if a message looks legit, call your bank or the company that sent it for more information.

Regularly checking your credit score is another habit you want to develop. Besides loans and accounts you didn’t apply for, look for searches on your report made by lenders as a result of credit applications.

What to Do If You Fall Victim to Identity Theft? Immediate steps to take include:

Taking screenshots of the affected accounts or the malicious emails and messages you received - any piece of evidence helps!
Changing passwords and PINs for your essential accounts first (then all the others that use the same password or host sensitive details)
Contacting your bank to close accounts, cancel credit cards and take other remedial actions to stop abuse
Getting in touch with state institutions concerned with that type of information (e.g. social security number, credit score) to flag the crooks
Report the crime to the authorities, starting with your local police

Check out award winning Bitdefender’s Digital Privacy blog for more information