Sometimes, identity thieves will try to send a change of address to credit card companies so they can receive pre-approved credit card offers meant for you directly to an address they specify. They might put a change of address request in with the post office or directly contact the credit card operation. Any new offers and even new credit cards will then be delivered directly to the new address. You need to be aware of any potential warning signs that someone may be trying to steal your identity or might have already stolen it and are using it for illegal activities. If you notice that you are receiving less mail than in the past, contact your local post office to see if any address change was requested.
You risk having your identity stolen when you receive unsolicited pre-approved credit card offers. Most mailboxes are fairly easy to break into and you might not even realize any of your mail is missing. If an identity thief steals a pre-approved credit card offer from your mailbox, he can easily complete the information and mail it back to the company under your name. If you have a good credit rating, the credit card application is very likely to be approved. You would never know someone has a credit card in your name until a problem occurs.
Credit card companies tend to send multiple offers. Try to get the companies to take your name off their mailing list. If they continue to send unsolicited applications, you might be able to contact a consumer or government agency or a direct mail marketing authority to assist you in removing your name from these mailing lists.
Even though you only have limited liability if your identity was stolen and you did not authorize the credit card, there are still a number of problems that you will have to deal with. You might have to argue with the issuing bank or credit card company that the signature on the application is not yours. Your credit record could be hurt. It will probably take a lot of time, money and energy to sort through the problem with banks and merchants that the identity thief has fooled into thinking they were dealing with you. It's quite possible you will need an identity theft attorney to help you sort out a myriad of problems that stem from the identity theft.
Luckily, the credit card companies are aware of possible identity theft and are experienced in dealing with these issues. Credit card companies know that sending unsolicited pre-approved credit card applications is profitable for them, but they are also aware of the risks of identity theft that people face. Thus, credit card companies have initiated measures that will minimize these risks.
You can take measures to protect yourself from having your identity stolen via pre-approved credit card offers:
* If possible, lock your mailbox or use a post office box. This will reduce the possibility of your mail getting stolen.
* Make sure to immediately put a change of address with the post office as soon as you move so your mail is not sent to your old address and become even more vulnerable to being stolen.
* Use a shredder to ensure a thief can't go through your garbage and find discarded pre-approved credit card applications.
Zackery Lim has seen first hand how serious identity fraud can be. He now runs an identity theft protection website and guards his private information jealously.
You too can pick up some useful free tips at IdentityTheftProof.com and learn how to protect yourself.
