Mariah, a MilSpouse from Camp Roberts, California was diligent about checking her financial accounts. One night she checked, and all was good. The next morning, there was a $300 fraudulent charge on her credit card from a shoe store. This literally happened overnight! Read more about her situation.

Have you ever noticed an erroneous charge on your credit card? Do you check your statements to confirm? Well, if you’re not careful, it could happen to you! We’re all busy and it can be easy to push off reviewing statements, but a fraudulent charge on your credit card is one sign that your information or identity has been compromised. At MilSpouse Money Mission, we are committed to helping you learn more about identity protection as one piece of overall financial well-being. Identity theft can occur to anyone at any time. Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information without permission to commit fraud or other crimes. It’s important to know the signs of identity theft and do your best to protect yourself and your family.

Here are 7 warning signs you may be compromised:

1. Missing bills or bills that stop coming without notice
   Many people use online bill pay options and never see a paper copy of a bill or account statement, but it’s still just as important to review your monthly statements to ensure accuracy. Regular reviews of your statements will also be helpful as you fine tune your spending plan, set savings goals and learn more about your finances.

2. Unauthorized accounts on credit reports
   The credit bureaus offer one free credit report a year, so it’s important to review your credit report annually and report any fraudulent activity or accounts. Did you know there is free credit monitoring available for active-duty Service members? Click here for more information.

3. Unsolicited credit cards or bills
   If you notice more credit card offers in your mailbox than normal, it may be a sign someone is attempting to open lines of credit under your name.

4. Credit denial
   When you attempt to use credit to finance a purchase and your credit is denied unexpectedly, request a copy of your credit report to learn more. Hopefully, the credit denial is a mistake, but it could also be a sign that your identity has been stolen and is having a negative impact on your credit reputation.

5. Things you did not buy
   Did you forget about that subscribe and save purchase? Have you seen a random shoe charge or other erroneous purchase? Be sure to check your statements for accuracy and ensure the items you’re billed for are legitimate and authorized purchases.

6. Withdrawals you did not make
   Online banking makes life a breeze, but it’s still critical to review your statements each month to be sure the withdrawals from your account are accurate.

7. An unexpected change of address
   Military families move a lot, but if a change of address request pops up without notice, it’s time to dig deeper. An identity thief may be attempting to re-route your mail in an effort to open accounts without your knowledge.

Take these steps if it happens to you!

Each situation may be different, but the key is to act immediately! If you find credit card fraud similar to Mariah’s situation:

1. Contact your credit card issuer
2. Change passwords
3. Order a new credit and/or debit card
4. Review your credit report
5. File a complaint with the FTC

Rest assured, there are sources of help for military consumers to get through these situations.

Here are more steps to help with other types of fraud.

Follow us on social media and visit the new consumer protection section of our website to empower you to build a stronger financial future.

MilSpouse Money Mission® is a Department of Defense resource that offers FREE personal financial education specifically geared toward spouses. There is a Money Ready guide for various stages of financial life, a MilLife Milestones section to help you through the big moments in your military journey, a blog, spouse videos, quizzes, calculators and more!