Fraudlent Credit and How to Check Your Credit Report (cont.)
Contributed by Kristy George
How to Recognize Fraud on your Credit Report
By obtaining a copy of your credit report you can look at all open charge accounts to make sure they are legitimate. You will also want to watch your credit card statements to be aware of any unusual charges. It may be as simple as noticing charges at your local grocery store on a date when you were out of town. Or you may have an extra Visa credit card opened on your credit report that you never received.
Credit Card Offers
All of us receive many credit card offers monthly and usually throw them away. Always open the offers and shred them if possible. Throwing away an application for a credit card is giving thieves an easy target. Shred all other documents you throw away that may contain important numbers that may lead to fraud. You can never be too cautious.
What do I do about Fraud?
If you feel that you may be a victim of fraud contact the company and your credit bureau immediately to try to rectify the situation. Most credit card companies will send you an itemization of what was charged so you can check it. Most companies will also try to help you get things cleared up on your credit report. But if you never pull your report to check it, you will never know about these fraudulent charges.
Some websites that let you obtain a copy of your credit reports are: www.truecredit.com, www.experian.com, www.transunion.com, plus many many more. Some of these sites do charge fees, but are worth it to know your credit is secure.
