One way to stop identity thieves from using your data to apply for mortgages, personal loans, or more is to check your credit history held by agencies such as Equifax, illion and Experian.
How do you check your credit report? On AnnualCreditReport.com you are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies. These agencies include Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are experiencing financial hardships.
Contact your police department, report the crime and obtain a police report. Decide whether you want to place a security freeze on your credit report.
Report identity (ID) theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at IdentityTheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338.
Consider a credit freeze or extended fraud alert
As an alternative, you can also set up a credit freeze with each of the credit bureaus, which will prevent anyone from opening new accounts in your name until you personally take steps to “unfreeze” your reports.
SECURITY FREEZE
A freeze helps prevent identity thieves from opening fraudulent accounts in your name. This also means you won't be able to apply for credit as easily if you were planning to open a new account or apply for a loan. You must contact each of the credit reporting companies to freeze your credit report.
You can also call Equifax at (800) 525-6285 or send a request by mail to place a fraud alert or active duty alert. Download this form for instructions and mailing address. To request an extended fraud alert, download a copy of the Equifax Extended Fraud Alert Request Form.
There are three main credit reporting bodies in Australia: Equifax, illion and Experian.
There's no “most important” credit bureau. Reviewing reports from all three bureaus can help you understand what information might be used to calculate your credit scores. But remember, lenders have their own criteria to decide on things like loan and credit applications.
Best Overall AnnualCreditReport.com
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau confirms that AnnualCreditReport.com is the official website that allows you to access each of your credit reports from all three of the major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—at no cost.
Identity theft begins when someone takes your personally identifiable information such as your name, Social Security Number, date of birth, your mother's maiden name, and your address to use it, without your knowledge or permission, for their personal financial gain.
The wide-range of identity theft-related crimes makes it hard to put a clear timeframe on recovery. However, on average, it can take over six months and 100–200 hours of your time to discover, resolve, and recover from the effects of identity theft [*].
Notify local police and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You can also use public resources to help to recover your losses and prevent further theft. Your state's attorney general, the Federal Trade Commission, and nonprofit identity theft protection organizations can also help provide assistance.
The Federal Trade Commission's website says that in the majority of states, “you're not responsible for any debt incurred on fraudulent new accounts opened in your name without your permission.” Next, contact one of the three credit bureaus to request it place a fraud alert on your file.
An identity thief would have to obtain personal details such as your name, birthdate and Social Security number in order to open a credit card in your name.
The law regulates credit reporting and ensures that only business entities with a specific, legitimate purpose, and not members of the general public, can check your credit without written permission. The circumstances surrounding the release of your financial information vary widely.
Equifax. Equifax is a global credit bureau and the biggest of the 3 Australian credit bureaus. The credit report Equifax provide to lenders is based on information reported to them by credit providers.
2 Experian has a slight edge over Equifax because it tends to track recent credit searches more thoroughly. Experian breaks down a credit report into sections, which include the following: Personal information including past addresses. Employment.