Protection Options
If you have been a victim of identity theft, or have reason to believe that someone may attempt to fraudulently use your identity there are several credit repair techniques you can use to protect yourself.
Fraud Alerts
Section 605A of the Fair Credit Reporting Act allows the inclusion of a fraud alert on your credit report. This is a short statement requesting that prospective lenders contact you prior to extending credit. The duration of a fraud alert is 90 days, but can be extended if you feel that the threat is ongoing.
Use a Monitoring Service
Unfortunately, fraud alerts are not fool proof. Not all creditors will read beyond your credit score when processing a loan request. If you have concerns about the illicit use of your identity we recommend that you supplement your fraud alert with another credit repair tool; subscribe to a good monitoring service which will send you an email alert whenever there is a material event on your credit report.