The best way to find out if someone has opened an account in your name is to pull your own credit reports to check. Note that you'll need to pull your credit reports from all three bureaus—Experian, Equifax and TransUnion—to check for fraud since each report may have different information and reporting.
No, in general, you cannot take out a loan in someone else's name. Doing this is fraud. Instead, you could cosign a loan with the other person. In certain cases, you may have a power of attorney for another person and can sign legal documents for them.
The FTC's fraud reporting website, IdentityTheft.gov, is where you'll find detailed instructions on dealing with various forms of identity theft. To be safe, you'll also want to review your credit report for any information that's appearing as a result of fraud.
Business Loan Fraud
Someone can use your information to apply for a business loan in your name — even if you don't have a business.
They send out letters claiming the recipient has missed a repayment deadline and now owe their original debt plus a 'penalty charge' of more money. The victim pays the 'debt' to the fraudsters, to find out later that they still owe the full amount to their outstanding loan company.
If you believe someone is using your Social Security number to work, get your tax refund, or other abuses involving taxes, contact the IRS online or call 1-800-908-4490. You can order free credit reports annually from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion).
To see if someone's using your SSN, check your credit report. You can check it online through AnnualCreditReport.com, the only authorized website for free credit reports. Or you can call their phone number at 1-877-322-8228 to request your free copy.
With a person's name, social security number and date of birth, someone can get loans, access the person's existing bank accounts, open new bank accounts, lease or buy cars, get insurance, you name it.
You can also call the Federal Student Aid Information Center, 1-800-4-FED-AID, TDD 1-800-730-8913. The Center's counselors can help you figure out what types of loans you have. Federal loan promissory notes and applications will state the name of the federal loan program (Stafford, PLUS, Perkins, FFEL, William D.
ProPublica has a page that lets you check if a PPP loan has been issued in your name.
The police will ask for your FTC identity theft report as part of their reporting process, and other entities like financial institutions or credit card companies might want the FTC report as well.
This person may be the actual fraudster or someone the criminal has manipulated into acting as a front for the fraud. The accounts are then used to either launder money or commit future fraud. Criminals use stolen credentials and personal data to open accounts in the names of individuals without their knowledge.
It's surprisingly easy for hackers and criminals to get your Social Security number. This usually happens either by physically getting the information or through a security breach of some kind online.
“The important thing for people to understand is that once someone has your Social Security number, particularly in combination with your name and address, they can do pretty much anything that requires your SSN,” said Brian Focht, an attorney and head of the Law Offices of Brian C.
Thieves might have a difficult time accessing your bank account if they only knew your Social Security number. Most of the time, to either access an existing account or open up a new bank account, the bank would require additional forms of identification, such as your physical Social Security card, Real ID or passport.
Financial identity theft.
This is the most common form of identity theft -- when someone uses another person's information for financial gain. For instance, a fraudster may use your bank account or credit card numbers to steal money or make purchases, or use your Social Security number to open a new credit card.
Inform your bank, building society and credit card company of any unusual transactions on your statement. Request a copy of your credit file to check for any suspicious credit applications. Report the theft of personal documents and suspicious credit applications to the police and ask for a crime reference number.
While a security freeze can help protect you by preventing certain access to your credit reports if someone attempts to open a new credit account in your name, it can't help protect you against other forms of fraud, such as a stolen credit card number.
Can thieves steal identities with only a name and address? In short, the answer is “no.” Which is a good thing, as your name and address are in fact part of the public record. Anyone can get a hold of them. However, because they are public information, they are still tools that identity thieves can use.