Fraud and ID Theft

Fraud alerts do not interfere with making credit card purchases

Posted on Oct 27 2010 by

Dear Experian,

Am I able to use my credit cards with a fraud alert?

- AJL

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How to remove a fraud victim statement from your credit report

Posted on Oct 13 2010 by

Dear Experian,

Can I cancel a fraud victim statement so I’m not asked a billion questions anymore when I apply for a loan?

- RST

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What to do if you become a victim of cyber-fraud

Posted on Sep 28 2010 by

Dear Experian,

I made an online purchase from a site that now appears to be a fraud, and I’m worried that my credit card may be at risk. I did not receive the merchandise and cannot get a response from the retailer. What should I do?

- GHR

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Recovering a lost PIN when your credit file is frozen

Posted on Aug 04 2010 by

Dear Experian,

I lost my pin for credit thaws and freezes. How do I go about getting another one? Can I do it over the phone or would it be better if I did that in writing?

- WVS

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Who can add an Active Duty Alert and when it makes sense to do so

Posted on Aug 04 2010 by

Dear Experian,

What is an “Active Duty Alert?” Are there pros and cons to placing my account on this status?

- AEB

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Steps to take after wallet is stolen

Posted on Aug 04 2010 by

Dear Experian,

I had my wallet stolen. My entire life was in my wallet including a check book, my Social Security card, driver’s license, identification and passwords to all my personal information, and all my credit cards. I have cancelled all my credit cards but am afraid that they will use my information for other reasons. As it is my credit is not great. What should I do?

- MJG

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Check your credit accounts for fraud after checking account is compromised

Posted on Jul 07 2010 by

Dear Experian,

I just had to destroy my debit card because someone overseas charged over $1,200 on my card. What steps do I need to take to ensure they do not attempt to use my information in the future?

- AJG

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How long it takes to thaw a frozen credit report

Posted on Apr 28 2010 by

Dear Experian,

If I have thawed my credit, how long before I can apply for credit and it will be accessible?

- SME

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Parent using child’s Social Security number

Posted on Mar 03 2010 by

Dear Experian,

I believe my daughter’s father is using her Social Security number for electricity, gas, water, phone and credit cards. How do I find out?

- CKY

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Teenage college student should accept credit monitoring offer

Posted on Feb 02 2010 by

Dear Experian,

My 17-year-old daughter just received an email from the university she is attending about a possible security breach on their admission registration files. The university is offering a one year free TripleAlert membership to her. My question is does she need it? I don’t believe she has done anything to establish a credit record. She has a debit card but no credit cards. Other than opening and using a credit card, what else might trigger the creation of a credit record in any of the three credit companies?

- MCS

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Steps to take after vehicle burglarized

Posted on Jan 06 2010 by

Dear Experian,

Our vehicle was broken into and confidential identity information might have been accessed. Does this warrant obtaining a security freeze? If so, how long can I expect for it to take place?

- CND

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Military personnel can add an Active Duty Alert

Posted on Dec 23 2009 by

Dear Experian,

As a member of the Army currently overseas, what can I do to protect my credit? I heard something about placing an “active duty alert” on my credit that only allows credit to be opened if I directly approve.

- MCL

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Steps you can take at home to prevent ID Theft

Posted on Dec 10 2009 by

Dear Experian,

What is the best way to prevent identity theft at home?

- OBE

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How fraud alerts work

Posted on Oct 28 2009 by

Dear Experian,

Please explain how a fraud alert works.

- MIH

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Replacing lost PIN to thaw frozen credit file

Posted on Sep 30 2009 by

Dear Experian,

I placed security freeze on my account and have misplaced the pin needed to temporary remove freeze. How do I get a replacement PIN?

- EGM

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You can get a free annual report even if you have frozen your credit file

Posted on Sep 16 2009 by

Dear Experian,

Does putting a security freeze on my file prevent me from getting my free annual credit report?

- CPI

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Monitoring services still work when you freeze your credit file

Posted on Jul 22 2009 by

Dear Experian,

If I have my file frozen with all three national credit reporting companies can I still have credit monitored? I do have a couple of monitoring services, but I’m not so sure they are working. I want both if possible, frozen and monitored. Is this possible?

- DYN

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Credit freeze could slow job search success

Posted on May 27 2009 by

Dear Experian,

Since October 2008 I have been unemployed and would like to know how applying a credit freeze on my reports affects my search for employment.

- SWE

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Replacing a lost PIN when your credit file is frozen

Posted on May 13 2009 by

Dear Experian,

When I moved, I misplaced the PIN for lifting my credit freeze. Can I get another PIN, and can I request it by email?

- VAG

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Son’s SSN may have been used to commit credit fraud

Posted on Apr 29 2009 by

Dear Experian,

I’m a little concerned that someone may have used my son’s Social Security number to obtain credit. How can I find out for sure?

- EAC

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Removing a fraud alert from your credit report

Posted on Apr 15 2009 by

Dear Experian,

How do I get a fraud alert removed from my credit report?

- DIB

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