How Fraud Affects Your Credit Score

It's scary to think how easy hackers have been able to access thousands and thousands of accounts so easily. From credit card information at gas station pumps, to scanners at airports, we are becoming victims of technology and it seems to be getting worse. For this reason, today we're going to look at how fraud affects your credit score and what you can do about it! 

Even credit bureau, Experian fell victim to hackers

Has this happened to you:
you're at the car dealer or Lender's office waiting to hear that you qualify for a great low rate, but instead of good news.. you're slapped with a high rate and/or denied for the loan because you have

• Too many accounts
• Newly opened accounts with high balances
• Too many inquiries

Hopefully this doesn't hit close to home for you, but it does happen and we've had clients that have fallen victims to Fraud and had no clue it was happening.
This is a main reason why you should have your credit report checked at lease twice a year so that you can be aware of what's being reported to the credit bureaus, Experian—Transunion—Equifax

Too many inquiries at once will drop your credit score, so it's a good idea to check who, what, and when placed a credit check on you. The Inquiry section of your credit report will show Who checked/ran your report and the date they did it on. If you are unfamiliar with any of these inquiries and did not give any authorization for them to run your credit check, then those need to be removed.

Newly opened accounts that you are not aware of and have not applied for are a red flag that someone is using your identity. Chances are that these accounts have been maxed out and are affecting your credit score due to high balance(s)—these accounts are fraudulent and need to be deleted asap! 

Don't allow yourself to be a victim of Identity Theft and allow this kind of fraud affect you and your credit score

What can you do about it? 

By following these simple steps, you can prevent identity theft and fraud 

1. Do have your credit report checked at least twice a year by a reputable credit company
2. Sign up for Credit Report monitoring program or Credit Protection. A good one is  Identity IQ . It's secure and you can monitor your credit plus protect your identity. (disclosure: we're affiliates of Identity IQ)
3. Be aware when using your credit card or debit card online, gas stations, or at ATM machines. * Tip: Make sure when pumping gas or inserting your card at an ATM, that the card scanner is legit and not a fake placed over the actual one
4. If you see any unauthorized inquiries or unfamiliar opened accounts on your credit report, do notify Experian, Transunion, and Equifax immediately to get those removed. OR, contact us and we can help you get these erroneous accounts deleted--we'll do all the work for you. (We can also set up a Fraud Alert notice on your credit report)

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Hopefully with these easy to follow steps, you can avoid being a victim of Identity theft and keep your credit score in great standings