Resident Learns Someone’s Trying to Get Credit Using His Name

Authorities advise checking your credit history to learn if anyone is trying to use your information for illicit purposes, which is exactly what a St. Charles man did last week when he learned someone had been trying to get a loan in his name.

The resident told St. Charles police at 4:52 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, that on Dec. 6, a fraud risk analyst at Transfirst LLC called him about a loan application made by a company that was using his name and Social Security number.

After telling the analyst that the company is false, that he is not affiliated with it, and that he not had authorized anyone to seek a loan using his personal information, the man went a step further and checked his credit history.

What he found was alarming. The man told police his credit history revealed that three other finance companies had checked his credit history. The same company, General Home Remodeling, had used his name and Social Security number in filing credit applications at all three firms.

He called all three finance companies to let them know the applications were fraudulent, and all three asked him to file a report with his police department. The companies indicated that once the report is filed, they would conduct additional investigations.

The victim also told police he put an alert on his credit history to help stop additional fraudulent applications.