This post originally appeared June 14, 2018 on CreditCards.com as “How do I remove old negative items from my credit reports?”
By Barry Paperno
Dear Speaking of Credit,
How can I go about getting negative things removed from my credit reports?
Almost three years ago, I was the victim of identity theft. My bank accounts were emptied. Plus, I got stuck paying it all back.
There are things on my credit reports I have no idea what they relate to. There also is a notationn that says, “Too many inquiries in the last 12 months.” I surely am not responsible for those credit inquiries.
I really never paid attention to the credit reporting agencies, but I am certainly going to monitor my credit reports from now on. – Richard
Dear Richard,
You should be glad to know that despite the three-year time lapse, it’s not too late to set your credit reports straight.
Unfortunately, however, the same cannot be said for your chances of retrieving the money you spent to replenish those hacked bank accounts. You’ll see why.
First, and perhaps more for future reference, we will take a look at some of the actions you could have taken three years ago that may have led to the bank replacing the money fraudulently taken from your bank accounts.
Next, we’ll list some steps you can take now to remove any lingering fraudulent information from your credit reports, lock up your information at the credit bureaus, and effectively monitor your credit going forward.