You can find out if someone has opened an account in your name or taken out any loans by checking your credit reports, looking for signs of identity theft and contacting your bank.
You can request a free credit report from each of the 3 major credit bureaus which are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian once a year.
Annualcreditreport.com is where you can get the free credit reports.
Signs of possible identity theft are being denied credit, unfamiliar medical bills, credit card bills, loan bills, unexpected calls from debt collectors.
On your credit report look for any accounts that may have been opened or tried to be opened that you didn't sign up for or try to take out.
If you find any accounts that may have been opened under your name you should contact the place where the account was taken out in your name and let them know that it was not you.
To stop someone from opening a checking account in your name you can do so by placing a credit freeze on your credit report with each of the major credit bureaus.
Placing a freeze on your credit report will prevent and restrict anyone from accessing your credit information so they'll be unable to open any new accounts.
You can also place a security freeze with ChexSystems.
ChexSystems is a system that banks use to verify a persons identity when opening checking accounts.
If you suspect identity theft you should also file a police report and contact your bank's fraud department immediately if you discover a fraudulent account.
Because banks and financial institutions check your ChexSystems report if you apply for new checking or savings accounts, a freeze prevents someone from opening accounts in your name.
If you do believe someone has opened a checking or other bank account in your name, contact the bank or credit union, report the fraudulent activity and consider placing a credit freeze to prevent additional damage to your identity.
If anyone, including a spouse, family member, or intimate partner, uses your personal information to open up an account in your name without your permission, this could be considered identify theft.