Detecting criminal activity from your credit report

If we look at our credit report in a careful manner, we can stop many of frauds resulting from identity theft. But now we need to know what exactly we have to care when reading our credit report and how to find something really unusual:

• Checking your address - Every credit report has a personal information section that contains your personal information like your address. You have to look for any suspicious change of address; since criminals often change your address and specify another one to be able to receive the things they buy delivered right to their door, or the door of an innocent neighbor. If you detect any false change of address, then you should immediately place an alarm with the credit agency that provided you with it.


• Keeping an eye on the inquiries - The main goal of a criminal is, ultimately, get your money. And what better way of getting your money than making you pay for the stuff they buy and the cash they borrow? The “Inquiries” section of your credit report contains information about all the creditors that have requested your credit file in order to accept or reject a credit application made in your name. Sometimes it will be easy to detect abnormalities (like for instance if you have been on vacation in New York and the report shows that you applied for credit in Texas or some other place where you obviously haven’t been recently), and sometimes it will be more difficult (there are thieves that are indeed very good at covering their tracks); but if there is something going on, it will appear here. Keep an eye open and never overlook a thing.


• Watching your public records - The “public records” section of all credit reports features information about any legal matter that you were involved in. While some of these records will not be indication of criminal activity (like a divorce, for instance), you should set a red flag on your report if you see legal issues you have no knowledge about. For instance, if your report shows that “you” were arrested, then there is another person using your name out there. Immediately call all three credit agencies and report this issue, and then call the police and explain this to them too. This way you will be protected in case the identity thieve commits a major crime.

Well, those are basically the three points you should look out for. Requesting credit reports regularly may be the best thing you can do to stop these kinds of activities and bring the criminals into justice. And it can be done easily, quickly and effortlessly right from your desktop.