How To Place A Fraud Alert On Your Credit Report

I remember the summer of 1989.  Alternative Rock  and neon colors were all the rage and it was the summer I acquired my very first credit card.  My card was to a national department store.  When I made purchases at the store, the card was inserted into a machine that would make a carbon copy of the card number and expiration date.  The carbon was then promptly thrown away in an unsecured garbage can by the sales clerk.  At the time, I did not give a second thought to whether that information could be used by an identity thief.   Fast forward twenty years or so and things have changed.

Identity Theft has become a serious problem.  Now more than ever, it has become very important to review our credit reports on a regular basis.  Special care should be taken to note items on your credit report that you do not recognize and inquiries on your credit report for creditors that you do not or have not patronized.  These items and/or inquiries can be indicators of a credit reporting error or identity theft.  In both cases it is wise to seek the assistance of a credit report repair attorney.  In addition, you can also contact the credit reporting bureaus at:

Equifax Consumer Fraud Division
Phone: 800-525-6285 or: 404-885-8000
Fax: 770-375-2821
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian National Consumer Assistance
Phone: 888-397-3742
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013

Trans Union Fraud Victim Assistance Department
Phone: 800-680-7289
Fax: 714-447-6034
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634-6790

and place a fraud alert on your credit report.

After a fraud alert is place, when you, or another person, attempts to open up a new credit account by getting a new credit card, cell phone, etc., the potential lender should contact you by phone to verify that you really want to open a new account.  While this is not a cure all, this can assist in your fight against identity theft.  Consult your credit report repair attorney for the best advice on how to proceed with this problem.