I didn't know...

[OnTheRebound]

credit card companies check public records. At least I know for certain PenFed does. I don't know about the others.

Let me explain. A couple of weeks ago I got locked out of my wife's online account. I don't know why. She had to call in to unlock. Simple enough. Just had to select a different security question and we're set. A week later same thing. Had to call in. This time they grilled her on everything. She answered everything except we didn't know the security image and the pin #. The front line rep wasn't satisfied and was going to transfer the call to his supervisor. The supervisor went through the same drill with one additional question. She wanted to know what month and year we purchased our last home. She answered correctly, 10/2011. The supervisor said that is correct. My wife asked her how she knew this information since there is no mortgage reporting (this was a cash sale) on any of our credit reports. She replied public records.

Is this normal? Do they all do that? I realize anyone can access our public records. That's why they are called public. Just seems a little extreme for for a credit card.

Anyway, I had to change one security question again and will unlock. She also said she will be sending a new pin # and to keep it handy the next time we call in.

[myjourney]

---

@OnTheRebound wrote:

credit card companies check public records. At least I know for certain PenFed does. I don't know about the others.

Let me explain. A couple of weeks ago I got locked out of my wife's online account. I don't know why. She had to call in to unlock. Simple enough. Just had to select a different security question and we're set. A week later same thing. Had to call in. This time they grilled her on everything. She answered everything except we didn't know the security image and the pin #. The front line rep wasn't satisfied and was going to transfer the call to his supervisor. The supervisor went through the same drill with one additional question. She wanted to know what month and year we purchased our last home. She answered correctly, 10/2011. The supervisor said that is correct. My wife asked her how she knew this information since there is no mortgage reporting (this was a cash sale) on any of our credit reports. She replied public records.

Is this normal? Do they all do that? I realize anyone can access our public records. That's why they are called public. Just seems a little extreme for for a credit card.

Anyway, I had to change one security question again and will unlock. She also said she will be sending a new pin # and to keep it handy the next time we call in.

---

Public records are part of an app and the credit process

[OnTheRebound]

I knew they did for a mortgage app but certainly not for a credit card. How could they with an instant approval? Does the system automatically check? However, 3 years ago when my wife apped PenFed we didn't have a mortgage either but they had plenty of time to check her out thoroughly since it took them well over a week to approve her.

 So I guess they check public records regularly like they do credit reports since they knew about our new home purchase about 18 months ago.

[myjourney]

---

@OnTheRebound wrote:

I knew they did for a mortgage app but certainly not for a credit card. How could they with an instant approval? Does the system automatically check? However, 3 years ago when my wife apped PenFed we didn't have a mortgage either but they had plenty of time to check her out thoroughly since it took them well over a week to approve her.

 So I guess they check public records regularly like they do credit reports since they knew about our new home purchase about 18 months ago.

---

Somewhere on your reports its listed but if you look at a CR you will see a public records section usually for Tax liens anything filed through a court.

They have a way to find all info if they look hard enough...lexus nexus is another type of report that stores info about you. There's about 2 more but the names skip me right now

[lonewolf210]

Hmm well that might explain why chase took so long on approving me. I have an arrest on my record, the charges where dropped but the arrest still stays. I'm curious if that does matter   

[09Lexie]

Public records are tax liens, bankruptcies, judgments, etc. One's criminal record is not part of your cr report

[myjourney]

---

@lonewolf210 wrote:

Hmm well that might explain why chase took so long on approving me. I have an arrest on my record, the charges where dropped but the arrest still stays. I'm curious if that does matter   

---

T.M.I.F.

No No No not that kind of court 

Suits liens those types Lol

[lonewolf210]

---

@09Lexie wrote:
Public records are tax liens, bankruptcies, judgments, etc. One's criminal record is not part of your cr report

---

Arrests are a part of your public record and things like fraud, ect would only show up there so it wouldn't have surprised me that much

[myjourney]

---

@lonewolf210 wrote:

---

@09Lexie wrote:
Public records are tax liens, bankruptcies, judgments, etc. One's criminal record is not part of your cr report

---

Arrests are a part of your public record and things like fraud, ect would only show up there so it wouldn't have surprised me that much

---

Those show up under your SS# not on CR

[lonewolf210]

---

@myjourney wrote:

---

@lonewolf210 wrote:

---

@09Lexie wrote:
Public records are tax liens, bankruptcies, judgments, etc. One's criminal record is not part of your cr report

---

Arrests are a part of your public record and things like fraud, ect would only show up there so it wouldn't have surprised me that much

---

Those show up under your SS# not on CR

---

They ask for your SSN as part of the app wouldn't have been any harder to pull up but I digress. Really not a big deal anyways