What
should I do if I find an error in my credit report?
If
you find an error, you may dispute it by writing the creditors
and/or the bureaus. The
easiest way to take care of a dispute is to use the automated
documentation capability of Community Empower. Click the button
marked “Review Credit File For Liabilities” on your analysis page
(you must be currently enrolled in Community Empower to use this
feature.)
Return
to FAQ Menu
|
How can I recognize if I am a victim of fraudulent
activity?
In
most cases, fraudulent activity can be detected by reviewing the accounts,
inquiries and addresses that appear on your Community Empower credit report.
Review your report carefully for the following items:
-
Accounts:
If you do not recognize an account and the account is newly
opened, that may be an indication that a criminal has obtained
a line of credit using your identity.
-
Inquiries:
Review all the inquiries on your credit report in the section
titled: "Requests viewed by others." This section
contains inquiries from creditors that have accessed your
credit report to process an application. If you do not recognize
the credit grantor accessing your report, that may be an indication
of fraudulent activity.
-
Addresses:
Review the addresses appearing on your credit report. If you
discover an address that you have not lived at, it may be
an indication that the address was used on a fraudulent application
for credit.
Return to FAQ Menu
|
What should I do when I find an account, inquiry or other
data that was a result of fraudulent activity?
The most important task is to notify
the creditor reporting the fraudulent data. Simply call the creditor
and inform them you are a fraud victim who would like to file
a fraud claim. All your creditor’s contact information is
included at the bottom of your Community Empower credit report. Follow-up your call by using the Community Empower system to automatically
generate the written documentation that you can send to the creditors
to dispute the fraudulent account. Each creditor has a process
for investigating your claim. Cooperate completely with the requests
of the credit grantor, so you can be assured you are not held
responsible for payment on the account. In
addition, you may use Community Empower to generate documentation
to the credit reporting agency to dispute the fraudulent data.
Return to
FAQ Menu
|
Should
I file a police report on fraudulent activity?
In
general, when a crime has been committed, it is a good idea to file a police
report. If you would like to file a police report, it is recommended that you
call the non-emergency number for your local police department and explain what
has happened. Your local police department can direct you to the appropriate
department and explain what information you need to provide.
Return to
FAQ Menu
|
What
about the legitimate accounts that I have already established? Should I take
precautions to protect those accounts?
If
the criminal has your identification information and is attempting to obtain
credit, you may want to contact your existing creditors to inform them of the
situation. You can request that the creditor does not change your mailing
address or mail out a replacement card unless they receive a written consent
from you first. Be sure to ask creditors if additional precautions are
available for your use.
Return to
FAQ Menu
|