Fraud Protection Series

Maintaining Vigilance

By checking your report on a regular basis you can catch mistakes and fraud before they inflict havoc on your personal finances. The Federal Trade Commission suggests you order a copy of your credit report from all three of the following major credit bureaus on an annual basis. Don’t underestimate the importance of this step. One of the most common ways that consumers find out that they’re victims of identity theft is when they try to make a major purchase, like a house or a car. The transaction can be lost or delayed while the credit report is straightened out. Knowing what’s in your credit report allows you to fix problems before they jeopardize a major financial transaction.

Credit Bureaus:

Equifax – www.equifax.com
To order your report, call: 800-685-1111
To report fraud, call: 800-525-6285/TDD 800-255-0056
and write, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian – www.experian.com
To order your report, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
To report fraud, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)/TDD 800-972-0322
and write, P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion – www.transunion.com
To order your report, call: 800-888-4213
To report fraud, call: 800-680-7289/TDD 877-553-7803; fax: 714-447-6034;
e-mail: fvad@transunion.com
or write:
Fraud Victim Assistance Department,
P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634-6790