In many cases, consumers only find out they’re victims of identity theft when they pull up their credit report and spot a fraudulent account, says Jay Foley, partner at identity-theft consulting firm ID Theft Info Source. In fact, identity theft is a cause of credit disputes, according to the CFPB.
While lenders have mechanisms in place to stop identity thieves, they’re not always successful. In those cases, when thieves apply for credit under a consumer’s name, the lender pulls that unsuspecting person’s credit report, tells the credit bureaus to add the loan account to that report, and then communicates missed payments to the bureaus, tarnishing the credit score tied to that account. Then, when consumers find out they’ve been a victim of identity theft — rather than the burden of proof being on the credit agency or lender — they have to provide the credit bureaus with evidence of their innocence.
Consumer advocates say the credit bureaus share some of the blame for these cases. Wu, of the NCLC, says the bureaus’ loose matching procedures contributes to identity theft problems. If bureaus matched all the information, including the person’s full name and full Social Security number, fewer identity thefts would occur, she says. The credit bureau industry disagrees, saying that the duty to verify someone’s identity is with the lender. The CDIA’s Magnuson says that credit bureaus have identity verification systems to protect consumers and that bureaus’ databases are not the entry point for identity theft or the sole source for its prevention.
Consumers can take some steps to avoid becoming victims of identity theft. For instance, they can place fraud alerts on their credit reports for free by contacting the credit bureaus. Lenders will then have to try to verify an applicant’s identity before issuing credit. Many banks also sell identity-theft services — costs can run $10 or more a month — that mostly involve daily credit monitoring, including flagging new accounts opened in a consumer’s name and sending alerts to that individual.
Consumers who learn a fraudulent account has been opened in their name should consider filing a police report and sending a letter with a copy of that report to the credit bureau and the lender who approved that account. In such cases, lenders will usually get fraudulent accounts removed from a credit report within 90 days, says Foley.
In many cases, consumers only find out they’re victims of identity theft when they pull up their credit report and spot a fraudulent account, says Jay Foley, partner at identity-theft consulting firm ID Theft Info Source. In fact, identity theft is a cause of credit disputes, according to the CFPB.While lenders have mechanisms in place to stop identity thieves, they’re not always successful. In those cases, when thieves apply for credit under a consumer’s name, the lender pulls that unsuspecting person’s credit report, tells the credit bureaus to add the loan account to that report, and then communicates missed payments to the bureaus, tarnishing the credit score tied to that account. Then, when consumers find out they’ve been a victim of identity theft — rather than the burden of proof being on the credit agency or lender — they have to provide the credit bureaus with evidence of their innocence.Consumer advocates say the credit bureaus share some of the blame for these cases. Wu, of the NCLC, says the bureaus’ loose matching procedures contributes to identity theft problems. If bureaus matched all the information, including the person’s full name and full Social Security number, fewer identity thefts would occur, she says. The credit bureau industry disagrees, saying that the duty to verify someone’s identity is with the lender. The CDIA’s Magnuson says that credit bureaus have identity verification systems to protect consumers and that bureaus’ databases are not the entry point for identity theft or the sole source for its prevention.
Consumers can take some steps to avoid becoming victims of identity theft. For instance, they can place fraud alerts on their credit reports for free by contacting the credit bureaus. Lenders will then have to try to verify an applicant’s identity before issuing credit. Many banks also sell identity-theft services — costs can run $10 or more a month — that mostly involve daily credit monitoring, including flagging new accounts opened in a consumer’s name and sending alerts to that individual.
Consumers who learn a fraudulent account has been opened in their name should consider filing a police report and sending a letter with a copy of that report to the credit bureau and the lender who approved that account. In such cases, lenders will usually get fraudulent accounts removed from a credit report within 90 days, says Foley.
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