Identity thieves use various methods to obtain your personal information, including:

• Phishing: Sending deceptive emails or creating fake websites to trick individuals into revealing their personal information.
• Data Breaches: Gaining unauthorized access to personal information databases, often through hacking or security vulnerabilities.
• Skimming: Illegally capturing credit or debit card information by tampering with card readers, ATMs, or point-of-sale systems.
• Social Engineering: Manipulating individuals through deceptive tactics to obtain their personal information, often through phone calls, impersonation, or pretexting.

Once identity thieves obtain someone's personal information, they can engage in a wide range of fraudulent activities, such as:

• Opening fraudulent bank accounts or credit cards in the victim's name.
• Making unauthorized purchases or withdrawals using stolen credit card or bank account details.
• Filing false tax returns to fraudulently claim refunds.
• Applying for loans, mortgages, or other forms of credit using the victim's information.
• Committing healthcare fraud using the victim's insurance information for medical services or prescriptions.

Identity theft can have severe consequences for the victims, including financial losses, damaged credit scores, legal complications, and emotional distress. Victims often spend significant time and effort resolving fraudulent activities, disputing charges, and restoring their identities.

Detecting identity theft can be challenging, but there are several signs and indicators that individuals can look out for. Here are some ways to detect identity theft:

• Monitor Financial Statements: Regularly review bank statements, credit card statements, and other financial accounts for unauthorized transactions or unfamiliar charges. Pay attention to even small or seemingly insignificant transactions; these are used to test the feasibility of exploiting your account.
• Check Credit Reports: Obtain free copies of your credit reports from the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) and review them for any unfamiliar accounts, loans, or inquiries. Look for any discrepancies or errors in your personal information. The credit bureau contact information is below.  
• Monitor Account Activity: Keep a close eye on your online accounts, including email, social media, and financial accounts. Look for suspicious activity, such as unauthorized password changes, account lockouts, or unfamiliar login locations.
• Be Alert to Missing Mail: If you stop receiving expected mail, particularly bills or financial statements, it could be a sign that an identity thief has redirected your mail or changed your address.
• Notice Unexpected Communications: Be wary of calls, emails, or letters requesting personal information, passwords, or financial details. Legitimate organizations typically do not request sensitive information through unsolicited means.
• IRS Notification: If you receive a notification from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about multiple tax returns filed under your Social Security number or other tax-related discrepancies, it could indicate identity theft.
• Collection Calls or Notices: If you receive calls or letters from debt collectors regarding unfamiliar debts, it could be a sign that your identity has been used for fraud.
• Medical Statements: Review medical billing statements carefully for any services or treatments you did not receive. Unfamiliar charges or insurance claims could indicate medical identity theft.
• Credit Score Changes: Monitor your credit score regularly. A sudden and unexplained drop in your credit score could be a red flag for identity theft.
• Notification from Financial Institutions: Pay attention to any notifications from your bank, credit card issuer, or other financial institutions about suspicious activity or potential data breaches.

If you suspect identity theft, it is important to take immediate action. Contact the relevant financial institutions, credit bureaus, and law enforcement authorities to report the identity theft and initiate the necessary steps to protect your identity and resolve any fraudulent activities. Here are the steps you should take:

1. Act Quickly: As soon as you suspect or confirm identity theft, immediately address the issue. The sooner you act, the better your prospects for mitigating the potential consequences.
2. Contact Financial Institutions: Notify your bank, credit card issuers, and any other financial institutions where you have accounts about identity theft—request to freeze or close any compromised accounts and open new ones with enhanced security measures. Use the contact information provided by your bank or credit card company, not the information provided by the criminals.
3. File a Police Report: County residents should call the MCPD non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 and file a report about the identity theft. Provide the operator with all relevant information and documentation related to the incident. Obtain a copy of the police report, which may be required for future steps.
4. Contact Credit Bureaus: Reach out to the major credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax—to report the identity theft and request a credit freeze on your credit reports. By law, you can start and stop a freeze for free. This helps prevent further unauthorized access to your credit information when thieves apply for credit using your identity. We recommend placing a credit freeze with each of the credit bureaus. You may find the online link more convenient.   

• Equifax at 1-866-478-0027 or 1-800-525-6285 https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
• Experian at 1-888-397-3742 https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
• Transunion at 1- 800-680-7289 or 1-800-680-7289 https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

5. Review Credit Reports: You should obtain a free copy of your credit report at each nationwide credit bureau once every 12 months from: https:// www.annualcreditreport.com. Review the report for credit cards or other accounts you did not create. Carefully review them for any fraudulent accounts, inquiries, or discrepancies. Dispute any unauthorized entries and work with the credit bureaus to remove them from your reports.  You may also correct errors that can negatively impact your credit.
6. Report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): File a complaint with the FTC through their website or by phone at 1-877-438-4338. The FTC can provide guidance and resources for recovering from identity theft and assist in creating an Identity Theft Report.  You can fill out the identity theft affidavit at www.identitytheft.gov.  For more, see Ways to Report Scams and Fraud. 
7. Notify Checksystems: If your personal identifying information (PII) was used to open a bank account, you might file a report with ChexSystems https://www.chexsystems.com/ to dispute fraudulent transactions. What is ChexSystems? ChexSystems aims to help financial institutions assess the risk of allowing new customers to open bank accounts. If a criminal tries to open a new bank account using your name and PII, a security freeze with ChexSystems may help prevent the fraudulent account from being established. See https://www.chexsystems.com/security-alert-online
8. Notify Other Relevant Parties: Inform other organizations that may be affected by the identity theft, such as utility companies, insurance providers, and government agencies. Follow their instructions for resolving the issue and securing your accounts.  The State of Maryland also has an "identity theft restriction" you can place on your driver's license if someone has used it to commit fraud. 
9. Keep Detailed Records: Maintain a record of all communications, documents, and actions taken regarding identity theft. This documentation will be valuable for future reference and as evidence if needed.
10. Stay Vigilant and Monitor Accounts: Monitor your financial accounts, credit reports, and personal information for any further signs of fraudulent activity.