Can someone steal your credit report?
Identity theft occurs when someone gets or steals your personal information. The information can then be used to open credit accounts in your name or receive benefits, such as employment, insurance or housing. Identity theft may impact your credit reports and credit scores.
- Bills for items you did not buy.
- Debt collection calls for accounts you did not open.
- Information on your credit report for accounts you did not open.
- Denials of loan applications.
- Mail stops coming to, or is missing from, your mailbox.
If you are a victim of identity theft, place fraud alerts or security freezes on your credit reports, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov, and take steps to protect your credit history and finances.
A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. If you suspect your personal information or identity was stolen, placing a credit freeze can help protect you from fraud.
You can request the weekly reports from AnnualCreditReport.com—one each from the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Now, the good news is that lenders can't just access your credit report without your consent. The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that only businesses with a legitimate reason to check your credit report can do so, and generally, you have to consent in writing to having your credit report pulled.
Contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 1-800-908-4490 or visit them online, if you believe someone is using your SSN to work, get your tax refund, or other abuses involving taxes. Order free credit reports annually from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).
You may reach the FTC's identity theft hotline toll free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338) or visit their website at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
Get a Credit Report and then directly contact the creditor/lender to find out who took a loan in your name and for what it was for. Your identity may have been stolen and used to open a credit account in your name. You should immediately raise a complaint with credit bureaus/CIBIL.
www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection
or call 1-800-908-4490. Also, you should file an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. The IC3 gives victims of cybercrime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations.
Who can access your credit report without your authorization?
The Takeaway
Banks, insurers, lenders, and utility companies may also pull a credit report if you've applied for credit or service with them. In some circ*mstances, government agencies may request your credit report without your permission.
If you didn't authorize even one of the entities you see on your soft pull list, your privacy has been violated. You could be entitled to up to $1,000 in damages, as well as your court costs, under the FCRA. It's free to chat with me about making creditors pay for violating your privacy.
The credit bureaus do not require a Social Security Number to access the potential borrower's credit file. The main criteria are name and address. Anything you can add in addition to the name and address will increase your hit rate. You can add the Social Security number, date of birth or even a phone number.
While the general public can't see your credit report, some groups have legal access to that personal information. Those groups include lenders, creditors, landlords, employers, insurance companies, government agencies and utility providers.
If you know your Social Security information has been compromised, you can request to Block Electronic Access. This is done by calling our National 800 number (Toll Free 1-800-772-1213 or at our TTY number at 1-800-325-0778).
Individuals and businesses must obtain written permission from the person whose credit they are seeking. In addition to written permission, the person must also give his social security number and current address. Obtaining a credit report without the person's permission is illegal.
Soft inquiries happen all the time without you even knowing—a company might check your credit score if they're planning on mailing you a promotional offer. These inquiries don't affect your credit score at all. But hard inquiries require your actual consent before they can happen.
Your credit report details your credit history, including any credit card account information, your balances, your available credit and your payment history.
You can also place what's known as a self-lock on your SSN through E-Verify® at www.e-verify.gov, a government service that employers use to confirm a job applicant's eligibility to work.
Financial identity theft.
This is the most common form of identity theft — when someone uses another person's information for financial gain.
How do I find out if someone used my SSN to file taxes?
- You get a letter from the IRS inquiring about a suspicious tax return that you did not file.
- You can't e-file your tax return because of a duplicate Social Security number.
- You get a tax transcript in the mail that you did not request.
If you suspect an identity thief is using your SSN for work purposes or has filed a tax return in your name to receive a refund, you should contact the IRS. You can go to the IRS Identity Theft Central website or call 1-800-908-4490 to make them aware.
- Unrecognized financial activity. ...
- Calls from debt collectors. ...
- Depleted benefits. ...
- Suspicious emails or messages. ...
- Unidentified tax return. ...
- Criminal record. ...
- Report the identity theft to the FTC.
There is no charge for correcting your Social Security card or getting one for the first time.
- Statements or bills for accounts you never opened arriving in the mail.
- Statements or bills for legitimate accounts not showing up.
- You're unexpectedly denied credit.
- Unauthorized bank transactions or withdrawals.
