Category Archives: Identity Theft

Wells Fargo Fake Accounts Plague Consumers

In 2016, Wells Fargo made headlines when it paid $110 million to settle a class action lawsuit and another $185 million in fines relating to allegations that the bank had created as many as 2 million accounts for customers without getting their permission to do so. Then, in December 2022, it paid a whopping $3.7 […]

The Pitfalls of “Credit Repair”

In June 2023, the New York Times Sunday Magazine looked inside the chaotic world of “credit repair” companies. The feature tells the story-after-story of how bad credit can ruin people’s financial lives—pushing them to the brink, financially and psychologically. It reveals how credit scores have ties to serious racial and sociological inequity. It explores how […]

Four Ways AI Scams Can Impact Your Credit Score

For all of the hoopla there has been about how ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications can increase efficiencies and create terrific new content, there’s another darker side to AI. It can also help fraudsters and identity thieves be more effective, too. Let’s review four ways that AI scams can impact your credit score. […]

What You Need to Know about Child Identity Theft

While many parents will get a Social Security Number for their child, it may be many years before the child uses their identification for financial purposes (e.g., opening a bank account). In the intervening time, the dormancy of children’s information makes kids an ideal target for identity thieves. The children’s underlying data is real, but […]

Why Having a Vietnamese Name Can Result in a Problem with Your Credit

The traditions and symbolism behind Vietnamese names are profoundly meaningful, while individuals’ personal names are often beautiful and inspiring. But having a Vietnamese name in the United States can pose a unique challenge when it comes to someone’s financial security. Let’s explore why this is an issue and what you can do to protect yourself. […]

How Those with Arabic Names Are More Likely to Have Errors in Credit Reports

While those with Arabic names may be used to having people make mistakes in addressing them (e.g., thinking that “bin” or “ben” is someone’s first or middle name), these errors can be more than a mild annoyance if they are on someone’s credit report. When that happens, it can have real consequences on their financial […]

Mexican-Americans Should Watch Their Credit Files for Erroneous Information

Mexican-Americans are proud of their outstanding heritage and vibrant culture. They are also proud of their lineage and often have two surnames that reflect their ancestry. Many use their father’s and mother’s family names as their surnames. For example, a man may go by Gilberto Lopez Garcia, or a woman may be called Maria Gonzalez […]

People of Polish Ancestry Should Check Their Credit Files

William Shakespeare famously wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But, for many of us, names are important since they give us our identity. Especially our last names. Surnames are a source of pride since they link us to our families and ethnic […]

Common French Surnames Can Cause Credit History Problems

The nation of France is known for its contributions to art and culture, from the architectural marvels of the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles to the fashion runways of Paris to the masterpieces in the Louvre Museum. And don’t forget the food and wine! The people of France have a lot to be […]

New Report Reviews the Biggest Data Breaches of 2022 (and so far, for 2023)

It’s astonishing how frequently revelations of a data breach have hit the news. But these events are so frequent they may get less media coverage than they warrant. That can hurt consumers—because if you’re not aware of breaches, you won’t know that your data has been compromised and take steps to protect yourself from identity […]