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Attempts at fraud on my report, what next?

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Anonymous
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Attempts at fraud on my report, what next?

I noticed hard inquiries from Chase and Wal-mart on my report that i didn't make. I called Sync and confirmed that there was an attempt to open an account  with Wal-mart but that it was denied. Which is odd because i have close to an 800 score, maybe they suspected it wasn't me. Chase said they had no open accounts in my name but that i would have to wait until Tuesday to check for pending request since it is the weekend and a holiday. I noticed the inquiries on CK just for a quick check and immediately paid for the 3B from myfico and there is no new accounts open but there are the couple inquiries in the last 2 months. 

 

I did a quick glance on the search function and most of what I saw was asking for info after the fraud had actually happened. I'm just wanting to get an idea on what the best course of action is. Obviously it wasn't a 1 time thing because they tried to open the accounts 1 month apart. I will call the credit bureau's tuesday after memorial day to dispute the inquiries and possibly freeze all my reports until i need them.  Is there anything else i need to do? The 3 inquries on 2 of my reports are all from the last 2 months from whoever this was that got my SSN and name (which all of the apps were denied,for some reason, maybe they suspected fraud)... Other than that, I have 1 inquiry on my report.

 

I'm just nervous and worked so hard over the past 3 years to get close to an 800 score and don't want it ruined by someone else. Is my best course of action just to freeze and unfreeze my reports from now on when i need or don't need them, since i know someone has my SSN and name out there attempting to get credit? It definitely isn't someone i know and has to be just some random person behind a computer somewhere. 

Message 1 of 5
4 REPLIES 4
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Attempts at fraud on my report, what next?


@Anonymous wrote:

I noticed hard inquiries from Chase and Wal-mart on my report that i didn't make. I called Sync and confirmed that there was an attempt to open an account  with Wal-mart but that it was denied. Which is odd because i have close to an 800 score, maybe they suspected it wasn't me. Chase said they had no open accounts in my name but that i would have to wait until Tuesday to check for pending request since it is the weekend and a holiday. I noticed the inquiries on CK just for a quick check and immediately paid for the 3B from myfico and there is no new accounts open but there are the couple inquiries in the last 2 months. 

 

I did a quick glance on the search function and most of what I saw was asking for info after the fraud had actually happened. I'm just wanting to get an idea on what the best course of action is. Obviously it wasn't a 1 time thing because they tried to open the accounts 1 month apart. I will call the credit bureau's tuesday after memorial day to dispute the inquiries and possibly freeze all my reports until i need them.  Is there anything else i need to do? The 3 inquries on 2 of my reports are all from the last 2 months from whoever this was that got my SSN and name (which all of the apps were denied,for some reason, maybe they suspected fraud)... Other than that, I have 1 inquiry on my report.

 

I'm just nervous and worked so hard over the past 3 years to get close to an 800 score and don't want it ruined by someone else. Is my best course of action just to freeze and unfreeze my reports from now on when i need or don't need them, since i know someone has my SSN and name out there attempting to get credit? It definitely isn't someone i know and has to be just some random person behind a computer somewhere. 


Definitely freeze all of your reports.  You might want to consider adding a fraud alert but I'll let others chime in on that aspect because I'm not 100% familiar wtht how they work and have read that a fraud alert can be problematic if you decide too apply for a credit product.  The freezing alone should prevent any more inquiries by unwanted persons.

Message 2 of 5
RobertEG
Legendary Contributor

Re: Attempts at fraud on my report, what next?

Fraud alerts are provided for under the FCRA, and thus have specific definitions, while freezes vary by CRA policy and/or state regs.

 

I would recommend looking into a fraud alert as an initial consideration, as it sets specific statutory limitations on approval of any requests for new credit.

Fraud alerts come in two flavors.... initial fraud alerts, which require only an asserted of suspected fraud/identity theft, and last for only 90 days, and extended fraud alerts, which last for several years, but require submission of a police report asserting some actual fraud/identity theft, as opposed to simply a suspicion.

 

See FCRA 605A for details on the effect and qualification for both an initial and extended fraud alert.

 

The added benefit of using the FCRA process is that once you have filed a police report, you can also use it for additional purposes, such as by sending to the creditor of the account and demanding a mini-discovery of their internal business records regarding the opening and use of the account.  See FCRA 609(e).

Thus, once you have an issue of an actual fraud/identity theft, filing of a police report is recommended, which then permits block of any information reported to a CRA from your credit report, block of ability of a debt collector to sell the debt once a block is imposed under section 605B, imposition of an extended fraud alert, and use of the mini-discovery process of section 609(e) to obtain more info regarding the account.

Message 3 of 5
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Attempts at fraud on my report, what next?

Ok, thanks guys. I will talk to the people at the CRA's Tuesday and see what they say. At the very least I will freeze my reports until I need them and probably an initial fraud alert. 

Message 4 of 5
JoeLuvsHisCredit
Valued Contributor

Re: Attempts at fraud on my report, what next?


@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

I noticed hard inquiries from Chase and Wal-mart on my report that i didn't make. I called Sync and confirmed that there was an attempt to open an account  with Wal-mart but that it was denied. Which is odd because i have close to an 800 score, maybe they suspected it wasn't me. Chase said they had no open accounts in my name but that i would have to wait until Tuesday to check for pending request since it is the weekend and a holiday. I noticed the inquiries on CK just for a quick check and immediately paid for the 3B from myfico and there is no new accounts open but there are the couple inquiries in the last 2 months. 

 

I did a quick glance on the search function and most of what I saw was asking for info after the fraud had actually happened. I'm just wanting to get an idea on what the best course of action is. Obviously it wasn't a 1 time thing because they tried to open the accounts 1 month apart. I will call the credit bureau's tuesday after memorial day to dispute the inquiries and possibly freeze all my reports until i need them.  Is there anything else i need to do? The 3 inquries on 2 of my reports are all from the last 2 months from whoever this was that got my SSN and name (which all of the apps were denied,for some reason, maybe they suspected fraud)... Other than that, I have 1 inquiry on my report.

 

I'm just nervous and worked so hard over the past 3 years to get close to an 800 score and don't want it ruined by someone else. Is my best course of action just to freeze and unfreeze my reports from now on when i need or don't need them, since i know someone has my SSN and name out there attempting to get credit? It definitely isn't someone i know and has to be just some random person behind a computer somewhere. 


Definitely freeze all of your reports.  You might want to consider adding a fraud alert but I'll let others chime in on that aspect because I'm not 100% familiar wtht how they work and have read that a fraud alert can be problematic if you decide too apply for a credit product.  The freezing alone should prevent any more inquiries by unwanted persons.


+1

You are really lucky that they were denied base on your scores

Message 5 of 5
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