How will I know if I'm a victim of identity theft, and what are the signs to watch for?

Consumer and financial fraud in Iowa and throughout this nation occurs every day, and you need to know what to watch out for. Oftentimes, people may not know their identity has been stolen for quite some time, whereas others may immediately see some obvious signs that they have been victims of identity theft.

One of the noticeable signs that you may be a victim of identity theft is that your credit report has questionable items on it. For example, if there are certain accounts that were recently opened or accounts that have not been paid, an identity thief may have opened a new credit account in your name. It is always wise to check your credit report once a year to look for inaccuracies.

Other signs that you may be a victim of identity theft in Iowa include: receiving new credit cards in the mail that you didn't open, not getting bills in the mail that you previously received, receiving phone calls from collection agencies on a debt you didn't know you had, getting denied credit, or seeing mysterious withdrawals from your bank account.

If you are a victim of consumer fraud and identity theft, you should file a complaint with the FTC and talk to an Iowa consumer fraud lawyer about your rights. When an identity if stolen, it frequently leads to a tarnished credit report and lost money.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, credit card fraud, bank fraud, or any other type of consumer fraud in Iowa, call a skilled Cedar Rapids consumer fraud attorney at the law offices of Brady Preston Gronlund at (319) 866-9277 for a free legal consultation.