Free Credit Bureau Report

Greg Mckeon asked:




One of the biggest threats to consumers is the lack of credit report monitoring. Most of us know that fraud exists but don’t realize just how big the threat is. Con artists prey on the naive and the greedy and they’ve honed their skills for years duping their victims out of money and possessions. It may not be surprising then that identity fraud has become so widespread because consumers still embrace the DIY mode of prevention; but honestly it’s too many avenues to keep abreast of. While you’re watching A, B and C, D, E and F are left vulnerable.

Proactive credit bureau monitoring could minimize the risk of financial and identity theft. The credit bureaus are updated by vendors of your whereabouts all the time. Use a new address and you can be sure that the credit bureau will soon have it listed on your credit report. Apply for a new credit card and the inquiry is listed on your credit report. This is why credit report monitoring is so vital to keeping your identity protected.

Just imagine some imposter posing as you, using your information including your sacred social security number. It becomes life altering when someone is out there posing as you ruining your good name and credit. And while the majority of us request our free yearly credit report, there are a vast number of people who don’t and this group won’t find out that someone has stolen their identity until they happen to come across some peculiar information. Which group are you in? Will it be the protected or un-protected group?

Fraud is the type of crime that keeps on giving; here are a few reasons to consider why credit report monitoring is so important;

The yearly credit report you just reviewed had no suspicious items listed so you’re at ease and feel protected. The following month an imposter opens 3 new credit cards in your name with a new address. You have no idea that this has occurred. The new credit card billing statements began going to the new address and the imposter is paying the minimum payments; it may be a rarity but they have successfully became you and you still have no idea that this is occurring. The imposter feels confident and successfully gets approved for 2 new car loans; this time they have no intention of paying and the imposter disappears. You still are unaware that your identity has been stolen because no one has notified you.

This is nothing new because imposters steal identities everyday for various reasons. In some cases they only want credit and some will even pay the minimum payments; others are just buying time to see how much they can get away with until they completely disappear once the credit limit has been reached.

All of those scenarios has happened and become frequent each year. While all cannot be completed prevented, it certainly can be minimized because if you were utilizing a credit monitoring service they would have alerted you the second a new address or application for a credit card hit your credit report.

Every instance of a request for new credit or a vendor reporting a new address will show up on your report however if you’re not taking advantage of good credit monitoring then an imposter could do damage twice-fold before you find out.

Some of you may be very proactive and keep regular updates on your credit report while others should really invest in a service that specializes in credit report monitoring and quick alerts of fraud. In today’s age of the unknown you need all the help you can find.

Frederick

Marc Marseille asked:




Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. The effects of identity theft can be a very hurtful experience that mostly occurs during the important moments of your life. Many victims of identity theft do not even realize that someone or in some cases several people have been violating them by getting access to their personal credit bureau report. Protecting your credit bureau report can easily be achieved by getting a copy of your free triple score from all three credit bureaus.

Your free triple score report will provide you with all the information you have reporting with all three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. Once you have received your credit bureau report, it is crucial that you do a thorough investigation to make sure that all your information is reporting correctly. If you find that you have been a victim of identity fraud, the best thing to do in that situation is to seek professional legal help through a reputable credit attorney.

It is unfortunate if you find yourself dealing with the situation of having your identity stolen, but there several steps you can take to prevent identity theft before it happens. The first step is to arm yourself with identity protection. Many credit card companies offer identity protection through a small monthly fee on your credit card, but if you have several credit cards, you may want to consider getting a more universal identity protection policy. Getting a universal identity protection policy includes using a company that works hand in hand with the 3 credit bureaus to create a lock on your credit bureau report.

Once you’ve create a lock on your credit report, no one can make any purchases using your information without having to verify some very vital information. To secure yourself even further, it is important to shred all important personal information before disposing of them. Information that should be shredded is bank statements, credit card statements, and anything that shows your Social Security Number.

Another precaution you can take is to never give your Social Security Number over the internet through an unsecured server. One way to find out if the website you are viewing is insecure is by looking at your browser window. All secure internet websites start with https: and not just http:. To make it even safer to surf the internet, you should get virus protection, spyware and a reliable internet explorer like Firefox.

My last recommendation to protection your free triple score report sounds simple enough, but a lot of people fall victim to it everyday; you should never give your Social Security Number over the telephone to a company you do not trust. Unless you have a long lasting relationship with a certain company, it is better to deal in person. If you must give sensitive information over the phone such as banking, try to establish a relationship with one particular individual in that department before you do so.

Annie

Robert G Anderson asked:




The Federal Trade Commission had formulated and enforced Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a US federal law in 1970. This act along with Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) forms the foundation of consumer credit rights in the US.

FCRA regulates the compilation, distribution and use of consumer information, including consumer credit information. These credit reports are compiled by three credit bureaus. They contain information about you and how you paid your bills. You can submit a Report to FCRA should you find any discrepancies in the report.

You are legally entitled to one free copy of the credit report from each of the credit bureaus annually. You can acquire a copy of the report from them and evaluate it thoroughly for any mistakes. FCRA gives you the right to dispute any information that you find wrong in the report.

How to file a Credit Report Dispute

First and foremost you must alert the bureau and the information provider of any incorrect information in writing.

All such documents that support your report should be included with your dispute. You may include photocopies of the supporting documents and keep the originals for further reference. These documents can consist of bank statements or cancelled checks and/or any such financial documents.

In your report, include your name, complete address, the information you are disputing, and the reasons why you are disputing. Sending your dispute via certified mail with return receipt request will ensure a proper proof of your sending the statement as well as it reaching the bureau.

What will the bureau do?

It is mandatory for the bureau to investigate your complaint and reply in 30 days with the results of the investigation. The bureau sends whatever report you sent them to the information provider to scrutinize. If there is any change in your credit report after this, the bureau will send you a free copy of your report. You may request them to send a copy of the corrected report to the companies that accessed your credit report during the last six months.

It is pertinent to mention here that if your credit report is inaccurate in one bureau’s report it will have inaccurate information in the other two bureaus also. Hence, you must contact the other two bureaus to get corrected reports from them as well.

Cathy