What is going on? Unauthorized.

[lesaheart]

I'm applying for a mortgage to be closed this week. This item just showed up less that 5 minutes ago from my account here: GECRB/JC PENNEYS. What is going on? I didn't add any account. in fact I was cautious not to make significant changes to any account.

[Switch2007]

Oh wow... do you have a Penny's card already? Maybe it's just now reporting. I know that they changed their name... so that could be it? 

[lesaheart]

No. I don't shop there. Never applied for charge cards in a few years and don't want anymore. It says started 11/1/11. I want to close  on home first before correcting this issue. I hope this is not going to be a problem. I'm confused.

[SevenNEW]

---

@lesaheart wrote:

No. I don't shop there. Never applied for charge cards in a few years and don't want anymore. It says started 11/1/11. I want to close  on home first before correcting this issue. I hope this is not going to be a problem. I'm confused.

---

That's fishy. I would call the credit bureau. I subscribe to an ID protection service and would call them, but am not sure how one deals with this on one's own. Anyone?

[lesaheart]

Yes very fishy but I'm afraid to do anything before closing for fear a dispute would be worse at this point. It doesn't list a limit. The balance states "0". There is nothing but a start date of 11/1/11 and the name of the company. Murphy's Law in full force!

[bostonte]

Did you *ever* have a JC Penny card?

I was helping a family member with their credit and a JC Penny card that was last used 15 years ago still shows up as open on their reports. A phone call to JC Penny credit can't locate the account and has no explaination.

GEMB recently started updating reports to GECRB (a name change) so some "alert" sites might see that as a new account or new activity - if that is what happened, it should settle down and fix itself once the changes have time to propigate through.

[lesaheart]

My only store card I ever applied for is a Zales card back in 2003. It still shows. Never used it. Maybe I signed up for a card for a promotion during my college days. I don't remember JCPenney's. I have never used a store charge card in my life. Maybe it was something I missed in fine printing deal years ago.

[CreditMuppet]

Does anyone in your household, hold a JCP card? or do you share a name that is simular to someone else in your household?  Sometimes accounts for someone else (ie; with the same name but a Jr.) can be reported incorrectly.

There's something very wrong here, hopefully your lender will not pull the CRA's prior to your closing.

[namvet]

If it were me, I would contact JC Penny and find out the purpose of the inquiry.   Most lenders do pull credit again within a week of closing.  This inq may or may not cause a problem for you but my guess is it won't unless you are borderline on your middle score.  Good luck!

[lesaheart]

Thanks for the replies everyone. No, it's just me by this name in the household. I received an alert from my scorewatch and logged on expecting an increase and was surprised by this situation instead. My score dropped 2 points. Lenders checked my account a little over a week ago before the Thanksgiving holiday. I pray I make it to Wednesday. I must be cursed.