10 Signs that you may be a victim of identity theft

Unauthorized charges on your account

Unauthorized charges to your account are sure indicators that your card has been compromised. How often do you check your credit card statement? Identity thieves have been known to test an account with small purchases, $10 here and $5 there to see if the card has been reported stolen or if the account owner has noticed. Once these charges go through without a problem, the next step is to charge bigger purchases, maxing out your credit card, and draining your account before you do notice. Question any incorrect charges, big or small.

You get a telephone call

This isn't just any call, it's a phone call like the one Renee M. received from a computer company asking her where she would like to have her brand new computer shipped—she hadn't ordered one.

A credit agency is after you

And it's for something you didn't buy. It may not be a long-forgotten payment from your past; it could be that someone used your information to open an account they never intended to pay.

You receive a strange email

This isn't a phishing email (read, "What makes shoping online unsafe?", for more information). This is an email from a legitimate company following up on your request to open a new account or do business with them.

You're denied a loan, a job, or an apartment

And it's because of your credit rating. Now, it's possible that your credit may not be up to snuff because of your own financial history, but if that's not jiving with what you know of your own spending (and paying) habits, it could be that someone has dinged your credit one too many times and now it's starting to affect how you can do business.

You get higher than expected loan rates

Again, if what you're getting is not what you thought you should get, consider researching your credit rating and requesting a credit report. Nowadays it seems that everything we do is connected to our credit rating and, if there's something fishy going on with yours, it may manifest itself at the bank or when you're trying to buy your next car.

You receive a "thank you" gift

While you may want to simply write it off as a nice little extra, that "thank you" gift could be an indicator that you paid for something that you never ordered.

Extra bills show up in the mail

This is a sure sign and one most people wouldn't let go unnoticed. If you're receiving bills from vendors you don't do business with, or for items you didn't buy (and it wasn't your husband or kids), it could be that someone else did it on your dime.

Your debit card or credit card doesn't show up

If you recently requested a new debit card or credit card and it doesn't arrive in a timely fashion, it may not have gotten lost in the mail. Be sure to follow up with your bank to confirm that it was sent and, if they sent it and you didn't get it, that they cancel it and send you another one.

Your statement is missing

If it's a credit card statement, this may not seem like a bad thing, right? But it is if someone has overtaken your credit card account and is now receiving your statement and gladly maxing out your credit card. The same goes for your bank account statement, if it's missing in action, it may mean that someone is getting it and your money.

More ways to protect your identity

• What makes shopping online unsafe?
• 6 Online shopping habits to avoid
• How to request a credit report