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Articles » Free Annual Credit Report | | How Do I Prevent My Credit Report From Being Pulled Without My Permission? |
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Every time that you apply for credit with a lender or credit card agency, your credit report is pulled for review. And every time that happens, it shows up on your credit report. This number can look bad when you are seeking any kind of loan or mortgage. Institutions that lend money generally look at multiple viewings as a customer's desperate search for finance and will often decline a loan because of it.
Federal law requires that anyone who wants to look at your credit report needs a signed authorization by you. For this reason, you need to be careful about who you allow to have access to your personal information. Social security numbers, job history, credit history, even family history will all give someone enough information to fraudulently pull your credit report. Keeping all of that private is the best way to avoid any unauthorized access.
When you are shopping to purchase an item that might require financing, such as a new car, do not fill out the authorization form until you have made a decision to make a purchase. Many car dealers will pressure you to do this the moment you walk in the door and you could end up with half a dozen inquiries and numerous copies of your credit authorization form floating around. Banks are a little safer, but you should still have all the facts before you sign anything.
Another good practice is to avoid filling out on line forms on unsecured websites. If you have a good anti-virus and protection program on your computer, the software will tell you when to avoid certain sites. If you don't have an anti-virus program, get one. You shouldn't be doing any kind of business or even personal surfing on the web without good security. Avoid on line loan agencies. Many of these are off shore and don't fall under federal jurisdiction. Once your information is out there, it can be sold to others usually without your knowledge.
Monitor your credit report regularly from all three of the credit reporting agencies. Any unauthorized access will show up and you can dispute it. Be vigilant about this. Pulling your credit report without your permission is a crime and there are significant penalties involved for doing it.
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