You are responsible for bank accounts that are opened in your name. For this reason, you should carefully track and manage any accounts. Some common reasons exist for why there might be a bank account open in your name that escaped your radar. Some parents open savings accounts for their children and the children are unaware of it. Maybe you intended to close an account but forgot. Accounts also might be opened when you are the victim of identity theft.
Step 1
Begin by checking your credit report. Your credit report will list active accounts that are associated with you. If someone else has opened a bank account in your name recently, it should be listed on your credit report. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report annually from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Step 2
Look online for unclaimed money. If you have an old account that has been inactive for some time, the bank consider it "unclaimed" money. You can search for your name in each state where you have resided to check whether forgotten accounts exist in your name.
Step 3
Talk to your parents and other family members. Ask them whether they or someone they know opened a savings account for you as a child or invested on your behalf. This might trigger some memories to help you track down any existing dormant accounts.
References
Resources
Tips
- If you find bank accounts that you have not opened listed on your credit report, contact the bank and close the account. Inform them that you did not open that account. You should also put a hold on your credit report to prevent more charges in your name until the situation is resolved.