Nightmares over Extended Fraud Alert

[supercoupe91]

Curious if anyone has any experience with this. I've done some searching on the boards but have some specific questions.

Beginning of this year I was the victim of some fraud - someone added themselves to my Capital One card as an authorized user. I didn't know who they were, and CapOne called me to ask about it. 

Anyways, I immediately paid $5 and froze my profile with all 3 bureaus. I was givent a PIN number for each. I then read I could get an extended fraud alert for 7 years for free with a police report, so I filed one and mailed everything into the bureaus. I was notified via mail that it was successfull.

Today,  I applied for a Citi card because I have a purchase I'd like to make and I'd like to stretch the payments over 21 months. I was immediately declined. Straight declined. My scores are close to 800 across the board, no negatives, and I carry no balances on any card. I am employed. I tried to call them, and they told me I'll get a letter in 7-10 days.

I was under the impression that I couldn't be declined for my fraud alert. Is that not accurate? Did my $5 freezes not automatically turn into the extended fraud alert? I'm wondering if I have a freeze AND an alert?

Its impossible to deal with these bureaus - they want everything in writing and through the mail. 

I spent a decade building up my credit profile, and now I'm treated like a leper with these freezes and alerts. The only company that treats me well now is American Express. 

Does anyone have any advice or experience? 

[Callandra]

Have you ever burned them in the past?

Since it doesn't appear they pulled your credit (all three are on ice, right?); that seems to be the logical conclusion that you are blacklisted for some reason as otherwise, they probably should have asked you for the PIN to pull your credit. 

[supercoupe91]

Don't think so, but its possible. Do you think they will tell me that if I get ahold of someone?

I burned a few companies in my 20's, so that's at least a plausbile explanation.

I've had other issues too, like my current cards will not give me CLI's. When I apply, they'll call me instead. If I don't answer, they don't leave a call back number. I literally have to be able to field the call right then and there (who knows when it will come), or I'm SOL.

Long story short, these fraud alerts and security freezes...I feel like a leper all of a sudden. I really need to speak to someone at the credit bureaus. Been on hold w experian for 90 minutes now. 

Pretty frustrating...

[needtodobetter]

If you froze your credit reports, Citi cannot view your credit report, which I am sure is what led to your immediate decline.

I was part of a data breach a while ago and had a fraud alert placed on my reports. It asked people to call me at my cell and verify it was me who was applying before extending credit. It created a lot of issues with my current CC companies - none of them would give me CLIs.  I pulled the alert off a few weeks ago and was able to get CLI on all my ccs - all the ones that had declined me CLI during the time I had the fraud alert in place.  Although it is there to protect you, many of the companies seem to not take the extra effort to verify whether or not it is you.

I was able to quickly remove the fraud alert over the phone with all three bureaus.  I have never frozen my report, but I think that is just a call too.

[supercoupe91]

Mods feel free to delete this. Experian just informed me that the freeze and extended fraud alert are both on my file. So I was supposed to lift the freeze before applying, and then they'll call my phone number when they see the fraud alert.

Much ado over nothing, sorry.

[Anonymous]

I went through this awhile back. I had placed an extended fraud alert (although I could have sworn mine lasted 10 years), anyway, I could not get approved for ANYTHING the entire time that alert was on my file. Like you I would just get declined, no option to call in and let them know it was me - nothing. That was way before I found this site, so I didn't know about backdoor numbers or anything like that. I know some people are still able to open accounts with these extended alerts, but I know I wasn't. I think if you have these alerts you need to be proactive and call them after the decline... don't wait for them to call you (cause it will most likely never happen).

[supercoupe91]

Exactly right - I called the Citi reconsideration line and got approved over phone. This board has been a great utility for me over the years. In 2013 I had a 580 score. I am now up to 805 with the help of myfico.

The biggest frustration is being on hold with the bureaus for explanations of how things work. 

[KSK1912]

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@supercoupe91 wrote:

Exactly right - I called the Citi reconsideration line and got approved over phone. This board has been a great utility for me over the years. In 2013 I had a 580 score. I am now up to 805 with the help of myfico.

The biggest frustration is being on hold with the bureaus for explanations of how things work. 

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As long as you have fraud alerts on your cr's, you will never get instant approval. You most likely will not get denial either, but a 7-10 day message, which you will receive a call or a letter asking you to call the creditor to go thru the id verification process. I have the same on all 3 ofcourse, and can nor get any instant approvals, or cli's without calling in. If i ever apply for anything, i give an hour for thr app to show up in ther system, then i call in before waiting for a weel or so for them to call me.

[RobertEG]

FCRA 605A (2)      Requirements for Extended Alerts

• (A) Each extended alert under this section shall include information that provides all prospective users of a consumer report relating to a consumer with –

      (i)         notification that the consumer does not authorize the establishment of any new credit plan or extension of credit described in clause (i), other than under an open-end credit plan (as defined in section 103(i)), in the name of the consumer, or issuance of an additional card on an existing credit account requested by a consumer, or any increase in credit limit on an existing credit account requested by a consumer, except in accordance with subparagraph (B); and

• (ii) a telephone number or other reasonable contact method designated by the consumer.

• (B) Limitation on users. No prospective user of a consumer report or of a credit score generated using the information in the file of a consumer that includes an extended fraud alert in accordance with this section may establish a new credit plan or extension of credit, other than under an open-end credit plan (as defined in section 103(i)), in the name of the consumer, or issue an additional card on an existing credit account requested by a consumer, or any increase in credit limit on an existing credit account requested by a consumer, unless the user contacts the consumer in person or using the contact method described in subparagraph (A)(ii) to confirm that the application for a new credit plan or increase in credit limit, or request for an additional card is not the result of identity theft.

[Anonymous]

All that just to say "Call consumer at provided number fist"