A hospital bill shows up for surgery you never had. A debt collector keeps calling about a credit card you never opened. That weird charge on your bank statement turns into three more.
This is how most people find out someone's stolen their identity — not all at once, but in pieces that don't add up. And it's happening more than you'd think. Nearly one in three Americans has dealt with identity theft at some point. In 2024 alone, people filed over 1.1 million identity theft complaints with the Federal Trade Commission. That breaks down to a new victim every 22 seconds. The total financial damage? More than $12.7 billion.
What can thieves actually do with your information? Pretty much anything. Empty your bank account, Run up your credit cards. Open accounts you'll never know about until the bills arrive. File a tax return in your name and pocket your refund. Some victims even get arrest warrants for crimes they didn't commit.
Most people spend months cleaning up the mess. Some take years. But if you catch the warning signs early, you can stop a lot of the damage before it spirals. That's the whole point of Identity Theft Awareness Week — knowing what to watch for so you can act fast.
Red Flags in Your Daily Financial Life
The first sign that something's wrong is often when your regular bills stop showing up. Identity thieves sometimes file change-of-address forms to reroute your mail, or they steal it straight from your mailbox to grab account numbers and financial statements.
Other warning signs hit closer to home. Debt collectors start calling about debts that aren't yours. A store claims you owe money for purchases you never made. Your checks bounce, even though you know your account has funds. Packages arrive at your door that you didn't order — sometimes thieves test stolen credit cards with small purchases before making bigger moves.
Check your credit card and bank statements for charges you don't recognize, even tiny ones. Thieves sometimes make a $1 purchase to confirm that your card still works before selling it online. If you suddenly get denied credit even though your score should be fine, or a credit card shows up in the mail you never applied for, someone might be opening accounts in your name.
Digital Warning Signs You Can't Ignore
You try logging in to your email, but your password doesn't work. You reset it, but then it happens again. That's not a glitch; someone's trying to lock you out of your own account so they can mine it for personal information.
Bank account showing withdrawals you can't explain? Don't assume it's a mistake. Check immediately. Sometimes thieves make small test withdrawals first — $5 or $10 — to see if you're paying attention before they drain the account.
Companies send data breach notifications for a reason. If you get one, take it seriously, even if everything seems fine with your accounts. Your information is out there, and thieves might be sitting on it, waiting for the right moment to use it. They're patient. You can't be.
Check your online accounts regularly. If something feels off — password issues, strange activity, locked accounts — dig into it right away. Waiting even a few days can turn a small problem into a financial nightmare.
Identity Theft Goes Beyond Your Bank Account
Identity theft doesn't stop at your bank account. Thieves use stolen information to get medical care, file fake tax returns, and even commit crimes in your name.
Medical identity theft can mess up your healthcare in ways that take months to untangle. For instance:
- Bills arrive for surgeries you never had
- Insurance companies reject claims because someone else already maxed out your benefits
- Your medical records include conditions you've never been diagnosed with. These conditions could keep you from getting coverage or the right treatment down the road
Tax season is when a lot of people discover someone's been using their Social Security number. It could be that the IRS rejects your return because it's already been filed, or you get W-2's from companies you've never worked for.
And then there are the really bizarre cases. Arrest warrants for crimes you didn't commit. Traffic tickets from cities you've never visited. Someone's using your identity to break the law, and you're the one dealing with the fallout.
Protecting Your Children From Identity Thieves
Kids make easy targets because their stolen identities can go undetected for years. Parents set up credit monitoring and fraud alerts for themselves but rarely think about protecting their children's information. Thieves know this.
Your child's identity might be compromised if:
- They get denied government benefits because someone else is collecting by using their Social Security number.
- The IRS sends notices saying your kid didn't pay income taxes, but your kid's still in middle school.
- Debt collectors call about accounts in your child's name.
- Your teenager applies for their first job or bank account and gets denied because their credit history is a mess.
Here's a tricky one: credit card offers addressed to your child. Sometimes companies mistakenly send these to minors, so one offer isn't necessarily cause for alarm. But if your ten-year-old suddenly starts getting multiple pre-approved credit card applications, loan offers, and other adult financial mail, someone may be building credit in their name.
Your Next Steps During Identity Theft Awareness Week
Spot something that doesn't add up? Call us. The faster you report it, the better. Mechanics Bank will never call, text, or email you to ask for your account numbers, passwords, Social Security number, or PINs. If someone contacts you asking for this information — even if they say they're from the bank — it's not us.
You can also contact any one of the three credit reporting agencies and request a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening accounts in your name or gaining access to your account information.
The agency you call is required to contact the other two agencies which will place an alert on their versions of your report.
- Equifax: 1.800.525.6285
- Experian: 1.888.397.3742
- TransUnion: 1.800.916.8800
In addition to placing the fraud alert, the three consumer reporting companies will send you free copies of your credit reports, and, if you ask, they will display only the last four digits of your Social Security on your credit reports.