Fraud alerts are very important to people who are victims of
identity theft, or even to those who are suspecting they might be a victim of
identity theft. When you become a victim of this crime, you may end up losing
all the possessions that you have. You might even lose the trust of the people
you know because of this so called identity theft. You should start protecting
yourself from the threats of identity theft by installing fraud alerts on your
credit report today.
A Brief Discussion on What Really an Identity Theft Is
Identity theft is a serious crime wherein you are
impersonated by a fraudster using your personal information. The fraudster will
usually try to obtain credit under your name. There are also instances when the
fraudster uses your credit card details to purchase things, or travel to
different places. This kind of crime happens when a fraudster obtains your
information such as complete name, birthday, birth place, mother’s maiden name,
Social Security number, driver’s license, credit card number, passwords and
other sensitive personal information. That’s enough reason why you should keep
all your personal information to yourself.
There are people who fail to keep their personal information
private, which often attracts identity thieves. However, many people also
become victims of this crime through hacking. Let’s say you did your best in
securing all your personal information, but there are fraudsters who know how
to hack accounts and extract your details. There’s really no escape to these ruthless
criminals. The best way to fight against them is taking preventive measures
such as reporting it to the Federal Trade Commission, and activating fraud
alerts on your credit report.
There are only three official credit reporting companies
where you can request the activation of fraud alerts. These three credit
reporting companies are recognized by the Federal Trade Commission. They help
the Federal Trade Commission protect consumers from threats of fraud and identity
theft. By using the services of any of these three credit bureaus, you can
sleep soundly at night, knowing that your reputation is well-protected. It’s
also important to know that these three credit reporting companies are
independent, meaning not owned by the government.
Here are the three credit reporting companies that will help
you install fraud alerts on your credit report:
1. Experian
- This credit bureau can be reached
through girlfriend scams. Experian is associated with many banks and other
financial institutions where they sell out your records known as credit
reports. By doing so, financial institutions will have a heavier proof that you
are capable of paying of the credit you are requesting for.
2. TransUnion
- This is another credit bureau that is
part of the “big three”. As a credit reporting company, TransUnion will collect
information from you such as credit history. They will be the one to make your
annual credit report, which is accessible also by financial institutions where
you have an account with. You can visit this credit bureau at www.transunion.com.
3. Equifax
- By going to www.equifax.com, you will
be able to activate fraud alerts on your credit report. By using their
services, you can ensure that no one is using your name to obtain credit from
any financial institution.
