Mysterious Initial Fraud Alert On Credit Report

Anonymous · ‎02-03-2017

I received an alert from MyBankrate regarding my TU report When I checked it on TU it said the following:

Your credit report contains the following messages.

SECURITY ALERT:
Initial Fraud Alert: Action may be required under FCRA before opening or modifying an account.
(Note: This alert is set to expire in 05/2017.)

I did not report any fraud on any of my accounts. I attempted to do an online dispute regarding the message and was unable to launch an investigation from this area. I checked the other two bureaus and did not find anything relative to fraud. I did file a complaint on Comenity Bank recently with the CFPB but it was not relative to fraud.

I am not sure what this message means and who put it there. Any ideas on how to proceed? I would like to get this off my report.

Anonymous · ‎02-04-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
I received an alert from MyBankrate regarding my TU report When I checked it on TU it said the following:

Your credit report contains the following messages.
SECURITY ALERT:
Initial Fraud Alert: Action may be required under FCRA before opening or modifying an account.
(Note: This alert is set to expire in 05/2017.)

I did not report any fraud on any of my accounts. I attempted to do an online dispute regarding the message and was unable to launch an investigation from this area. I checked the other two bureaus and did not find anything relative to fraud. I did file a complaint on Comenity Bank recently with the CFPB but it was not relative to fraud.

I am not sure what this message means and who put it there. Any ideas on how to proceed? I would like to get this off my report.

Call them and get it lifted.,credit burearus will report fraud alerts to one another.

RobertEG · ‎02-04-2017

Technically, fraud alerts are authorized under the FCRA only upon request of a consumer or his/her authorized rep.

Once imposed, they can always be removed by written notice from the consumer to the CRA.

It is common practice for the CRAs to consider any issue of a consumer assertion that a debt was never authorized by them as an inferred request for a fraud alert.

That is not necessarily a bad practice, and has not been challenged in court, so it remains standard.

Simply send written notification, along with proof of identity, to the CRA, and get it removed.

See FCRA 605A.

Anonymous · ‎02-14-2017

Bank of America has screwed up my credit report. Please help me with suggestions as to how to rectify this action. Here's what happened:

I applied for a BOFA card as a result of mailers they sent me at least 20 times. They pulled two of my bureau reports, took about a month and denied the app. That was ok with me so I let it go. Then two months later I get an alert from TU saying a fraud alert was on my report. I pulled the report and there it was. I then pulled Equifax and found the same alert on it. I pulled Experian and did not find an alert.

I then prepared and sent a certified letter return receipt to TU and Equifax telling them to remove the alert as I did not request or authorize this alert. This was sent out last week 2/8/17. I have not received the return receipt as of yet but today 2/14/17 I find a letter from TU and one from Equifax (probably been there a week or two) stating they were notified by BOFA that they think the application I completed was fraudulent (they never asked for ID or any kind of verification before notifying the bureau). The application was completed online using the reservation number that was on the mailer. Both bureaus indicated they were placing the fraud alert on my report (it is already there). I never received a letter from BOFA stating whey they denied my application. I found out when I called their number to check on the app and the automated system said the app was denied.

My certified letter asking for it's removal from both reports is sitting somewhere at the credit bureaus. I would like advice on what further steps should I take to get this issue resolved by the bureaus? Should I contact BOFA (I am not the least bit interested in their card now) and ask them to notify the bureaus they added this alert in error? With the letter to the bureaus asking them to remove the alert I also sent a copy of my DL. I wish to expedite this correction without a lot of additional fuss. Does anyone have any suggestions? (A board member suggested the letter to the bureaus in a previous post and that is why I have already sent it. I sent it certified to make sure they got it). Is there any recourse against BOFA?

You would think BOFA would do due diligence to properly identify the person before they place fraud alerts on credit reports that were not initiated by the consumer. Thanks for any suggestions.

Anonymous · ‎02-14-2017

Wow! That's tough. I would give it more time, for one thing. The credit bureaus seem to move at a snail's pace. I would wait thirty days and resend the same way, if you don't hear from them. Sometimes requests get slowed down with too much (overlapping) communication. At least, that is my own experience. There is a requirement that they respond to you.

In the meantime, if you feel the need to call, I would mention the letter and go from there. However, that might just confuse the situation.

I know it is hard to wait. I've been there. Perhaps someone else has a suggestion. Best of luck to you.

I edited this to add: Try throwing yourself on BofA mercy and tell them how much you like them and really need their help. Just a thought.

Anonymous · ‎02-14-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
Wow! That's tough. I would give it more time, for one thing. The credit bureaus seem to move at a snail's pace. I would wait thirty days and resend the same way, if you don't hear from them. Sometimes requests get slowed down with too much (overlapping) communication. At least, that is my own experience. There is a requirement that they respond to you.

In the meantime, if you feel the need to call, I would mention the letter and go from there. However, that might just confuse the situation.

I know it is hard to wait. I've been there. Perhaps someone else has a suggestion. Best of luck to you.

I edited this to add: Try throwing yourself on BofA mercy and tell them how much you like them and really need their help. Just a thought.

Thanks so much. I hope to use talking to BOFA as a last resort. I don't trust myself to be able to keep the high road right now. I don't care a hoot about the denied app but I can't explain how mad I am about the fraud allegation. You are right about waiting a while. I just want this over and soon.

gdale6 · ‎02-15-2017

As this is a continuation of the thread started earlier the two have been combined here in GEN. You can edit the main title if you wish by using the options pull down menu in the upper right hand corner of the first post.