Free credit report - 芝加哥

摘錄自 Chicago Tribune (Feb 27, 2005)

Credit reports to help consumers fight ID theft rise
Demand for financial, personal data mounts

By Lorene Yue
Tribune staff reporter
Published February 27, 2005


Free, limited access to reports

On Tuesday, Midwesterners will get their chance to nip
identity theft in the bud. Consumers in Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, the
Dakotas, Kansas and Nebraska can request a free credit
report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus
by going to a special Web site (www.annualcreditreport.com)
or calling 877-322-8228.

It is the second phase of the federal program that began
Dec. 1 on the West Coast. Southern states join the program
June 1, followed by the remaining states Sept. 1. By state
law, residents of Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maine,
Maryland, New Jersey and Vermont can get free credit reports
at any time.

"We certainly encourage consumers to take advantage of
this," said Colleen Martin, spokeswoman for Chicago-based
TransUnion LLC, one of the three major credit reporting
bureaus. "If you seethings that are suspicious, you need to
take action right away."

The necessary steps include filing a police report and
filling out an affidavit found at the Federal Trade
Commission's Web site (www.ftc.gov). Those documents will
help prove someone opened an account with stolen
information. Ask one of the credit bureaus--they'll notify
the other two--for a fraud alert, then request a credit
report at least every three to four months for a year.

But identity theft may be the crime that keeps on taking.



Scanning your credit report

Here's what to look for once you get your credit report.

- Check for accounts and charges you don't recognize.

- Look for a high number of credit inquiries. A thief may
have unsuccessfully tried to use your personal information
to open an account. If it's a credit issuer checking out
your status for a pre-approved offer, you'll find a
promotional tag next to the entry.

Only financial activity shows up on your credit report. If
you're the victim of identity theft your report will not
show:

- Apartment rentals. Someone can use your information to
rent an apartment in your name.

- Arrest records. A thief could use your identity when
arrested.


If you're victim of identity theft

Something suspicious on your credit report? You may be the
victim of identity theft. Here are some steps you should
take:

- Put a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting one
of the three reporting bureaus: Equifax at Equifax.com or
800-685-1111, Experian at Experian.com or 888-397-3742 or
TransUnion at TransUnion.com or 800-680-7289. Call one and
they'll alert the other two. Most fraud alerts last for 90
days and can last up to seven years. The alert makes it more
difficult for thieves to get credit in your name.

- Notify your credit card issuers and financial institutions
that you may have been the victim of identity theft.
Immediately cancel any bogus accounts you discover.

- File a police report and ask for a copy. You may need this
to prove to creditors and financial institutions that you
are not responsible for accounts opened without your
permission.

- Complete a fraud affidavit. You can get one at
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf




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