Are Any Fraud accounts opened in your name?

August 19, 2008 by idhelper

The answer lies with the big 3 credit reporting agencies. Your whole profile, which includes credit info, is inside their databases. Any new accounts, including ones resulting from fraud, will likely appear in them before you get any news from other sources.

Their phone numbers are as follows: Trans Union - 800-888-4213, Experian - 888-397-3742 and Equifax - 800-685-1111.

Ask each one to send you a free copy of your credit report. Then request a "fraud alert" be attached to your credit profile with each of them. Make sure you contact all 3 agencies.

Another way to obtain a free yearly credit report from all 3 credit reporting agencies is to visit the website www.annualcreditreport.com. You can get fast credit reports this way. Just make sure you fully print out each report when it comes up on the screen.

The credit reports should tell you if fraud accounts already exist. But placing a fraud alert on file with the big 3 agencies is important because you never know when a fraudster might try and open up new accounts in your name.

Most fraud alerts are good for 90 days. And you can extend such alerts much longer if you want.

According to a recent survey, many identity theft crimes are connected directly to stolen wallets. The faster you deal with potential ID fraud issues by contacting credit reporting agencies the less problems you should have to deal with down the road if it comes to clearing up your credit profile.

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