Ken Stalcup, a certified public accountant in
Indianapolis, used his debit card to pay for a meal at a local restaurant. A few days later, his card was used in New York without his knowledge to purchase computers at a national office supply store. His bank flagged the suspicious charge and quickly canceled the card, but not before the perpetrator racked up close to $2,000. As someone who regularly monitors his checking account, Stalcup’s initial reaction was, “This can’t be happening to me, can it?”

Identity theft is a growing problem in the United States. According to the 2012 identity fraud report by Javelin Strategy & Research, cases of identity fraud increased by 13 percent last year, with more than 11.6 million U.S. adults becoming victims.

For a story for U.S. News & World Report, I spoke to identity-theft experts to highlight red flags that might indicate you’re a victim. Click here to read about the warning signs.