How Do You Determine if Your SSN is Being Used by Someone Else?

[StPatrick]

I've lived in my current home for 8.5 years.  The couple who owned it prior to me rented it, so I'm used to getting mail addressed to other people, and I recognize their names.  Today, however, I received three pieces of junk mail with names I'd never seen before:

 

• Patrick J. Gutirrez (the first name and middle initial are the same as mine, and the last looks like a possible intentional misspelling of the more common Gutierrez)
• Karla Ronquillo
• Minor Arguello

I've never seen these names before in all my time here.  At this point, I have not been subject to any thefts and no new accounts show up on my credit report.  I'm going to call the local PD to see if they can provide some guidance, but I'm sure someone on here has some experience in this area.  My guess is that someone has accessed enough of my personal data to fake legal work status and is using my name to establish a claim of residence.  I would not be surprised to find that the state and federal governments are being defrauded.  Other than reaching out to the police, what other measures should I take?

[vontar]

Over a year ago, If froze all my info with the 3 big credit reporting companies.

 

Now if I want a loan I have to also use a pin just to unfreeze it long enough for the loan to go though.  Didn't cost much but gave some peace of mind.

[enfield]

Lifelock?

[MacGyver]

Put a credit freeze on your account. Then try and file your taxes. We're expecting up to 15% of returns to be fraudulent this year.

[Dustbuster]

Pull a credit report on yourself for free from all 3 bureaus. If there's entries in the report that don't belong to you call the creditor ASAP and start inquiring.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[StPatrick]

[quote name="MacGyver" post="1120882" timestamp="1394111946"]Put a credit freeze on your account. Then try and file your taxes. We're expecting up to 15% of returns to be fraudulent this year.[/quote] Taxes are already done.