Credit Card Application I didn't make??

[Anonymous]

I just got an alert saying that a new credit application was processed.  How do I find out who did this and what do I do now?? I'm nervous because I've been working so hard to clean up my credit and now I'm scared there may be some fraud going on.

[haulingthescoreup]

Hi, welcome to the forums!

Who sent the alert? Are you subscribed to Scorewatch, or to a similar credit monitoring service from somewhere else?

You need to pull whichever report (Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian) generated the alert. Generally a credit application is only made on one of the three reports, and that's the one that you need to look at. I'd advise looking at it online, rather than getting a mailed copy. (That's so you don't have to wait and worry.)

When you get your report, check the section called "Inquiries" or "Requests to view my credit" or something similar. (The title varies.) The inquiry will appear there.

Have you applied for a job, an apartment, cable or satellite, a cell phone, or anything similar recently? These often result in credit pulls, even though they don't seem like they should. It might also be from a collection agency.

When you find out who pulled the inq, please reply here and copy/paste the name of the company who pulled your report. (Don't post anything that shows your name, account number, and so forth.)

[Anonymous]

I got the alert from Score Watch.  Should I still pull the report since I don't know which one the report was made through.

This is the info on the alert

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE CORP NEVADA 
Inquiry date: 12/13/2010

What is an inquiry?

Score Watch® sends you an alert of a new inquiry when there has been an application for a new credit account in your name.

[haulingthescoreup]

Score Watch is Equifax, always. So the inq was made on Equifax.

This inquiry was for something from HSBC: HSBC, Orchard, Household Bank. It could be an app for a store card from Best Buy, which I would definitely worry about this time of year. It could also be an innocent error by someone sloppily entering data, especially if you have a really common last name, etc. The CRA's don't exactly kill themselves matching things up.

I would strongly advise going to Equifax-dot-com and pulling your full report there (not your myFICO report, unless you have an unused freebie.) You might need to put a fraud alert on your report.

I'm not up on the latest advice on what to do in case of identity theft. Can anyone else out there jump in on this?

[marty56]

I would also call EQ and see if you can get the reason code.  Also do you have any of HSBC products?.  I would also call HSBC and see if they can tell you which product the INQ was for.

[Anonymous]

I did have a freebie left but it doesn't say anything about the inquiry (not anything more than what I posted).  I also have lifelock so I sent them an email wanting to know why this wasn't flagged...we'll see what they say.  

On a positive note, I did find some incorrect data on the freebie report so I can at least get that removed while I work on the other.  Thank you very much for your information and trying to help me.

[RobertEG]

The legal statement that you must be willing to provide is simply "that the information is not information relating to any transaction by the consumer."  See FCRA 605B(a)(4).If you can make that statement, then you can take action to block any reporting of a CRA  on this information by sending them a letter under FCRA 605B(a)  Once you send the CRA this letter, the CRA is then required, within 4-days of receipt of that letter, to block inclusion of this information in any CR they then issue.

The FCRA uses the term "identity theft" for this matter, but this is actually only an allegation on your part that you did not authorize the transaction.  Ydu dont have to actually prove how the information was reported without your approival,  Of course, you cant be required to prove that actual identity theft has occured, or institute your own investigation of the facts.

Here is how you go through the process.

Your "proof" is by way of first making a sworn statement before a law enforcement agency of the alleged facts.  That is done by going to any police station, and filing a "police report."  The FCRA calls this an "identity theft report"   See FCRA 603(q) for details.  The significance of this "identity theft/police report" is that it is a legal, sworn ducument that the FCRA will accept as a legal assertion of credit reporting of information that you did not authorize.  That is, if you will, your "proof" of an allegation.

Once you have a copy of your identity theft report, you can file the above-mentioned letter to the CRA under FCRA 605B(a)  Here is what that letter must contain:

FCRA 605B(a)(1):  approprate proof of your identity

FCRA 605B(a)(2)  a copy of the identity theft report

FCRA 605B(a)(3)  identification of such information by the consumer

FCRA 605b(a)(4)  a statement by the consumer that the information is not information relating to any transaction by the consumer,

[Anonymous]

I should file a police report even though all I know is that a credit application was submitted using my name?  I just want to make sure I have this right before I go to the police department.

Thank you all for your time.  

[llecs]

I'd file a police report. I didn't read through this thread thoroughly so someone may have said it, but I'd also place a fraud alert on all 3 CRs.

[RobertEG]

Yes.

Just take with you a copy of your CR to the police, and make a sworn statement to them that is not something you ever authorized or had knowledge of, and it is not yours.  They probably wont even investigate it, but that is not your concern.  All you are doing is making an allegation of unathoized posting to your CR.