Fraudulent Transunion Account

[PatrickA5]

Well, I finally got hit with someone stealing my identity. UGH!

Friday, I got a couple of Hard Inquiry alerts that showed someone had used my name, SS, etc to apply for credit cards at Discover and Capital One. I have alerts set up through Chase, Amex and Credit Karma. Being the weekend, I was unable to contact Discover and Capital One until today. Both were very helpful and cancelled the applications and marked them both as fraud.

I immediately froze my credit agency accounts and also submitted a Fraud Alert at all three agencies to keep this from happening again (hopefully).

What was especially worrisome was I was surprised to learn was that I already had a Transunion account set up. Come to find out that someone else set up the account last month using my name and SSN but used their address, phone, security questions, etc. After a number of attempts with Transunion customer service, I was able to regain control of my account, change username, password, email, phone, etc.

So, what's to keep someone from calling back in and changing everything back? From a little research, this is a real problem. Some have reported that it's a constant game of cat and mouse. Once fraudsters have certain information from your credit report they can just basically call up (like I did) and recreate everything, turn off credit freezes, etc. Anybody else have their credit agency information compromised?

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Freeze all Accounts at all 3 agencies.

How To Freeze and Unfreeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion

A credit freeze is the best way to protect yourself from identity theft. Here's how to freeze your credit with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

clark.com

 

[Sunset]

Have my credit accounts frozen for years. So far no issues.

However, the impersonation aspect is worrisome. Especially for bank accounts and brokerages as I'll lose money.

 

[aja8888]

Freeze all Accounts at all 3 agencies.

How To Freeze and Unfreeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion

A credit freeze is the best way to protect yourself from identity theft. Here's how to freeze your credit with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

clark.com

His post says he did that.

 

[audreyh1]

His post says he did that.

But not before this happened?

 

[aja8888]

But not before this happened?

Does it matter? he did it.

 

[PatrickA5]

But not before this happened?

Right. They weren't frozen before. They are now.

I'm not too concerned about the two attempts. The applications have been flagged as fraud and no credit cards were ever approved.

What is concerning is how easy it is to set up a Credit Bureau account for another person knowing only name, SSN an email address. At this point, I figure everybody's SSN is out there somewhere.

 

[aja8888]

Right. They weren't frozen before. They are now.

I'm not too concerned about the two attempts. The applications have been flagged as fraud and no credit cards were ever approved.

What is concerning is how easy it is to set up a Credit Bureau account for another person knowing only name and SSN. At this point, I figure everybody's SSN is out there somewhere.

For us old enough to remember, our SS number used to be our Medicare number. Go figure!

 

[audreyh1]

Does it matter? he did it.

It might have prevented the initial fraud which is why many of us leave our credit frozen at the various bureaus.

 

[PatrickA5]

It might have prevented the initial fraud which is why many of us leave our credit frozen at the various bureaus.

But, if someone can get into your credit bureaus, it's an easy click to unfreeze an account.

 

[audreyh1]

But, if someone can get into your credit bureaus, it's an easy click to unfreeze an account.

They would have to break into your account rather than create their own.

Sounds like you didn’t have a Transunion account. Someone had already created an account using your SS etc.

 

[donheff]

I agree with Audrey. It sounds like the OP was a good target because he did not have an account set up at Transunion and did not have a freeze elsewhere. The bad guys established an account at Transunion. And were able to open lines of credit with that new address. The takeover question is a different matter but a potentially alarming one. Could the bad guys just call or otherize contact the credit bureaus where you have already setup an account? Maybe, but if all of your accounts are frozen the bad guys would need to compromise and unfreeze them all. I doubt they want to deal with that situation.

The best bet remains - set up accounts and freeze them. IRS and Social Security also recommend that you set up online accounts before someone else does.

 

[Al18]

The headlines have been saying for the past 8 years or so to setup a credit freeze immediately, but some folks don’t listen. Also, once you setup an account at the credit bureaus, they give you a unique PIN if you want to turn off the credit freeze. The chances the bad guy would know the PIN are nil.

 

[PatrickA5]

I agree with Audrey. It sounds like the OP was a good target because he did not have an account set up at Transunion and did not have a freeze elsewhere. The bad guys established an account at Transunion. And were able to open lines of credit with that new address. The takeover question is a different matter but a potentially alarming one. Could the bad guys just call or otherize contact the credit bureaus where you have already setup an account? Maybe, but if all of your accounts are frozen the bad guys would need to compromise and unfreeze them all. I doubt they want to deal with that situation.

The best bet remains - set up accounts and freeze them. IRS and Social Security also recommend that you set up online accounts before someone else does.

I was able to call Transunion and have them walk me through how to change the account to my information. Probably the same way the fraudster set up the account to begin with. This is a known problem based on what a 5-minute search revealed. One poster (I think it was Reddit) said they are constantly having to check their Transunion credit bureaus because someone keeps changing it back (unfreezing as they go). It sounds like it's always done over the phone.

The person at Transunion was nice enough to give me the fraudsters Userid. They asked if my email ended in Hotmail and I said no. I gave them my actual email address. They sent me an email with a password reset. Once I got in, I changed the security questions, phone number, User name and Password. The only things that were consistent between my information and the fraudsters was Name, SSN.

So, I guess I'll be checking my Transunion credit account information on an ongoing basis. I'm not sure if the other bureaus have the same problem.

Fortunately, I had numerous credit alerts set up that sent me the Hard Inquiry in real time.

 

[PatrickA5]

The headlines have been saying for the past 8 years or so to setup a credit freeze immediately, but some folks don’t listen. Also, once you setup an account at the credit bureaus, they give you a unique PIN if you want to turn off the credit freeze. The chances the bad guy would know the PIN are nil.

Just went into Transunion and unfroze my credit. No PIN asked for. It didn't ask me to set up a PIN when I did the freeze.

Also, temporarily unfroze Equifax without asking for a PIN.

I'm doing all of this on a laptop. Maybe an App is different?

 

[Koolau]

Why do you have to "set up" a Tansunion account? I thought that was done "to" anyone who used credit cards.

 

[PatrickA5]

Why do you have to "set up" a Tansunion account? I thought that was done "to" anyone who used credit cards.

Set up online access.

True, you have an account already. To freeze or set up a fraud alert you'd have to have an online account. Or, I suppose you could call maybe. Not sure.

 

[braumeister]

Just went into Transunion and unfroze my credit. No PIN asked for. It didn't ask me to set up a PIN when I did the freeze.

Also, temporarily unfroze Equifax without asking for a PIN.

I'm doing all of this on a laptop. Maybe an App is different?

They were using PINs some years ago when I first froze all my accounts, but I think most or all of them have moved on to other verification methods.

 

[Koolau]

Set up online access.

True, you have an account already. To freeze or set up a fraud alert you'd have to have an online account. Or, I suppose you could call maybe. Not sure.

Thanks. Much appreciated.

 

[PatrickA5]

They were using PINs some years ago when I first froze all my accounts, but I think most or all of them have moved on to other verification methods.

I think Experian was the only one to ask for me to set up a PIN.

But, back to the original issue, if they can get into your account, they can always change the PIN also.

I'm probably over stating the problem. The odds the original fraudster comes back and retakes over my Transunion online account is probably negligible. I have no idea if the person who applied at Capital One and Discover is the same one that took over the Transunion credit bureau access.

And to those who like to blame the victim and state "some people don't listen", I've used credit freezes in the past. I also have multiple alerts set up to tell me of any new accounts and inquiries.

 

[donheff]

They were using PINs some years ago when I first froze all my accounts, but I think most or all of them have moved on to other verification methods.

Yes. When I set my accounts up they used PINs.
After they changed that to plain vanilla user ID and password. By the way there is an obscure 4th bureau that no one seems to use - Innovis. I setup an account with them but it does not appear to bye used by anyone I deal with.

 

[Al18]

Glad you took quick action and have this under control. I guess the credit bureaus don’t use PINs anymore.

 

[engineernerd]

Wow, thanks for the heads-up! This hasn't happened to me AFAIK but I haven't checked my credit reports very recently either.

But beware if you freeze your credit at whichever agency/agencies your insurance company uses to check your "insurance score."

Years ago I put a freeze on at all three agencies - and then unknowingly overpaid for home, auto, and umbrella insurance for several years, until I asked for a quote from another company and the agent suggested he could give me a better quote if I unfroze my credit. Turns out that a freeze was interpreted the same as no credit history at all, leading to the lowest possible score.

I don't know what the legal landscape is today or in anyone else's state, but WA state law at the time required them to send me a notification letter if they had increased my premiums because of my credit. Well, either they never sent such letters or the letters all got lost in the mail. Difficult to prove a negative, and the insurance commissioner's office was not interested in helping me, so I unfroze my credit.

 

[PatrickA5]

Thanks for the info. I've heard of that being a problem, but not sure my state allows it. I'll send my agent an email.

 

[JOBO]

Everyone over the age of 18 and living in the U.S. needs to do at least these things.

In Spring 2024, the Telco’s implemented an unadvertised FCC-mandated anti-porting mitigation in an effort to make their customers less susceptible to SIM-swap/port-out attacks.​

Enable it HERE ​

AT&T For better or worse this can only be done thru the AT&T mobile app forever linking it to the device. Replacing the phone will require extra steps.​

T-Mobile​

Verizon​

There's confusion on the topic of SIM fraud.
It's not covered accurately online or in mass media with the following 3 terms often used interchangeably.
These are completely separate from one another and except for CLONING have nothing to do with setting a PIN on the physical SIM card in the phone.

SIM-Swapping aka port-out has been one of the greatest identity-theft threats to ordinary consumers since ~2018. Just because you don't do mobile banking doesnt mean you cant be SIM-swapped. You can be.

SIM-Jacking has been endemic since feature phones (2001) and can’t be mitigated because it’s a built-in feature not a bug.

SIM Cloning hasn’t been a thing since the advent of 3G networks (2005). It requires physical access to the SIM card, has been mitigated by technology and can be prevented by setting a SIM PIN on the physical SIM card in the phone.

Plant Your Flags

You cannot do these next 2 while credit freezes are in place

Secure Your Social Security Account
Create an account with the SSA Social Security and secure it with ID.ME if you can.
Accounts opened prior to 2021 cannot use ID.ME and will need to be re-established from scratch.

There can only be one account per SSN so doing this prevents anyone else from claiming yours.

Secure Your IRS Account
If you file electronically using tax software you should already have established a static 5 digit PIN with the IRS that you use to e-file every year this could also be last year’s AGI. This isn’t the same as the IRS identity protection PIN below.

The IP PIN program became active in Jan 2021. When you sign up, the IRS will issue you a 6-digit PIN. You put the PIN on your tax return. Any e-filed tax return without the correct PIN will be rejected. Any paper return without the correct PIN will be subject to extra scrutiny.

A specific PIN is valid for only one year. After you sign up once to participate in the program, you must log in to the IRS account each year to retrieve a new PIN before the tax season starts. You always use your most current PIN. You don’t need a PIN when you amend your previous tax returns.

Freeze ALL 4 Credit Reports
These are free and should take less than 20 minutes to do online.

No one including yourself will be able to open a new account when a freeze is in place but you need to close all 4 doors. This will also help reduce the information that data brokers can see because it prevents the CRA from selling your data to them. The freeze can be temporarily or permanently undone online in 20 seconds with the PIN they’ll issue. They've all been issuing PINs since 2016.

When applying for new credit, ask the lender which service they use so you can lift a freeze. Do it at least an hour before you submit the application. Most lifted freezes allow you to enter an expiration date for the lift so the freeze will be automatically reinstated.

Transunion

Experian

Equifax

Chex systems Used by Banks and CU to perform KYC for bad checks and closed accounts

After a freeze, insurance companies will still be able to review your credit report for underwriting purposes so reports of “my insurance went up after I froze my credit” are no longer valid. Existing creditors will still be able to raise or reduce your credit limit. Unfortunately you’ll also still receive prescreened offers of credit unless you opt out
Also here --> Innovis Used for mass mailing data for pre-screened credit card offers
and here --> Lexis-Nexis use a pdf of anything when it asks for a picture ID such as drivers license I used a leaf blower brochure cover page and they accepted it.


Don’t let yourself get tricked into paying for a credit lock or a fraud alert. Those aren’t freezes and will still allow the CRA to sell your data. Credit reports are now available weekly instead of once-a-year for free.

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