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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on November 9, 2011:
Creditors might be able to use a credit report to locate you
Dear Experian,
Can creditors find you through a credit check?
- DMW
Dear DMW,
Experian lists all addresses reported as belonging to you.
If you move to a new address and notify your existing creditors so they can send your payment notice to you, the new address will appear in your credit report. If you apply for new credit after moving, the address you provide will be reported by the new lender.
Any creditor who accesses your report will be able to see all of the addresses reported to Experian. So, if a lender has lost contact with you but would like to get in touch, they might be able to reconnect with you using the address list provided in your credit history.
While there is no reason to believe it is a factor in your question, we are often asked this question by people who would rather not have creditors locating them to collect unpaid debt.
While we cannot give legal advice, falsifying information including your address in order to avoid collection efforts for debts you owe might be considered a form of fraud. Anyone considering such an action should consider seeking qualified legal advice before doing so.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team