Reminders
- The questions will be based on date(s) / ownership/ underwriters/ mixed files.
- It’s recommended that you ask yourself these questions before deeming the activity fraudulent.
- You can also review your credit report to verify the information being reported is correct.
1. Ownership: Questions to ask yourself about possible account ownership:
- Have you opened up any accounts recently?
- Could the possible fraud activity in question be in relation to these types of accounts ( Authorized User(s) / Co-signer/ Joint)?
- Could the activity be associated with a family, friend, or spouse’s account? Have you cosigned or listed as an authorized user for anyone else?
- Have you requested or made changes to any of your existing accounts? Such as lower interest rate, credit limit increase, special credit card program (rewards program) or balance transfer?
2. Date: Questions to ask yourself about the established date(s):
- What date did you receive notice of the activity?
- Have you applied for credit or do you recall opening an account within this timeframe?
- Have you recently applied for credit such as (mortgage loan, auto loan, insurance) these can generate multiple inquiries?\
3. Underwriter: Questions to ask yourself about the established date(s):
- Often most alerts can display the 3rd party / underwriter’s name instead of the company name you initially started business with.
- Have you made changes such as refinancing, applying for a new mortgage, or requesting a credit line increase?
- Are there any transitions/ changes happening within your current mortgage company? (ex. Change in lenders)
4. Multiple / Mixed File: Questions to ask yourself about the established date(s):
- Is there anyone in your household that has the same name or a similar name to yours?
- Clerical errors can occur which happens when paper records are entered into a computer
- Data is sometimes entered manually and is also aggregated in mass quantities.
- E.g. Items could appear on your public record that belong to an individual with a Social Security number that is 1 digit different than yours. (usually a typo while being uploaded into the system)
