The prospect of identity theft can be scary, but the sooner you recognize it might be happening to you, the more quickly you can take action to stop it.

Many people imagine identity thieves raiding bank accounts or charging to credit cards that aren’t theirs. But identity criminals also apply for loans and new credit cards in other people’s names, and even file unauthorized tax returns and medical claims.

Knowing the red flags of this activity can tip you off early in the criminal’s process that something’s wrong, and by catching identity theft happening before it gets too far, you can dramatically limit your exposure.

First, watch for bank withdrawals and credit card purchases you don’t recognize, or invoices coming in the mail for products or services you didn’t order. Receiving a bill for a loan or credit account you don’t recognize is also an obvious warning sign.

Two, watch for small unrecognized charges on your credit card, as thieves will sometimes test out stolen card numbers with easy-to-overlook micro charges before moving on to more expensive transactions.

Three, if you’re no longer receiving a monthly statement you normally receive by mail, it could be a sign that fraudsters have changed the address on your account so you won’t see unauthorized charges on your statement.

Four, if your tax return is rejected as a duplicate, identity thieves likely filed a fraudulent return on your behalf ahead of your legitimate one, aiming to capture a refund in your name.

In all of these instances, immediately contact the associated financial institution or IRS to report the fraud and cooperate with their investigation efforts.

As for minimizing future breaches, two of the best practices you can adopt are strong password management and regular monitoring of your financial accounts.