How to Remove Credit Fraud Items

If you believe you have become a victim of credit fraud, your first move should be to contact the nationwide credit bureaus---TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. The credit bureaus can place a temporary freeze on your credit information making it difficult or impossible for the fraudsters to open more accounts in your name. Once that protection is in place you can address any fraudulent accounts that have already been opened.

Instructions

1

Contact each of the credit bureaus to notify them that you have been victimized by fraud. Call all of them and follow up with letters sent by standard mail. Ask that a fraud alert be placed on your file. By federal law the alert must remain on your report for at least 90 days. With the alert in place, potential creditors are required to use "reasonable policies and procedures" to verify that any new credit request in your name really is being made by you.

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
877-576-5734

Experian
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013
888-397-3742

TransUnion
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
800-680-7289

2

Get a copy of your credit report to search for the addition of fraudulent accounts. Get a copy from the website Annual Credit Report. Federal law entitles you to three reports every 12 months, but a request because of fraud does not count against that total. Visit the website and click on "Request Report" to order or call 877-322-8228.

3

Call the companies for each of the fraudulent accounts on your report. The numbers should be listed on your credit reports with the rest of the account information. Speak with someone in the security or fraud department and send letters---by certified mail---as a follow up. Tell the companies that you did not open the accounts and that you were the victim of fraud. Insist that the companies remove the accounts from each of your credit reports. Request a new report in about 30 days to confirm that the accounts were removed, or contact the credit bureaus directly by phone.