How to Remove a Fraud Alert From Equifax

If you have a fraud alert on your credit report, it can serve a valuable purpose. Whenever someone tries to apply for credit using your personal information such as a credit card or automobile loan, the creditor must notify you with a phone call before the account can be opened. You get the opportunity to speak with the creditor and verify if the account should or should not be opened. This keeps criminals and identity thieves from ruining your credit history.

Instructions

Process

1

Contact Equifax fraud department in writing. Your letter should contain all of your personal information such as name, Social Security Number, present address and previous address, telephone number and your date of birth.

2

Forward your information to the Equifax Credit reporting agency fraud division at the following address:
Equifax Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Sending this letter certified will allow you to keep tabs on it since it has all of your personal information enclosed.

3

Call Equifax in seven to 10 days at 1-800-525-8265 to verify that the fraud alert has been removed. You can also follow up by mail if you are not able to speak with a representative by phone.

4

Wait 90 days and the fraud alert will fall from your credit report automatically without you doing anything. You can have the fraud alert reactivated.

5

Make a credit purchase and you can also determine if the fraud alert has been removed from your credit file. You could run into a delay if the alert is still on your credit file. To make a purchase, the creditors will need to call you from your home phone or work phone to verify everything is okay.