Consumer Red Flags for Detecting Identity Theft

Red Flag — Red Flagged

• to mark or draw attention to for a particular purpose: We’ve red-flagged the most critical general issues to help you prevent your identity from being misused

• to provoke the attention of ; alert, arouse: An email requesting her to confirm her account information was a red-flag that she was being baited in a phishing scam.

• intended or serving to emphasize, warn, incite or provoke. This section should be a red flag to everyone to take action to prevent identity theft.

• a clue or hint that something is suspicious.The Fresno, California home address appearing on his credit report was a red flag to the life-long Wisconsin resident that someone may be using his identity.

10 Examples of Consumer Red Flags

1. Your health insurance card or other identification carried in your wallet or purse contains your social security number. Click for Diary

2. A person or business requests your personal information, for example, your social security number, an account number, or PIN, by telephone or email. Click for Diary

3. You toss junk mail including credit card offers in the trash because you are not interested and too busy the open them. Click for Diary

4. You deposit your outgoing mail in an unlocked box at work or in your residential mailbox. You suddenly stop receiving mail, or you missed receiving a monthly statement in the mail. Click for Diary

5. You receive bills for goods or services you didn’t order; or bill collectors begin contacting you or your family members about past due payments that you know nothing about.
   Click for Diary

6. You use the Internet for business, personal use, or just fun and games. You and family email, shop, bank, chat, or network. Click for Diary

7. Your insurance rates suddenly increase or you are cancelled by your insurance company. Click for Diary

8. The police arrest you or interrogate you for a crime that you know nothing about. Click for Diary

9. When you visit the clinic, the nurse asks you how your diabetes is. You’re not a diabetic. Click for Diary

10. You do not receive your IRS tax refund, or the IRS says you owe back taxes on unreported income,. Your annual social security statement shows your earnings are thousands of dollars more than you actually earned last year. Click for Diary

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites