A credit reporting agency is a private company that collects data and maintains historical information on consumer and business credit records. Credit reporting agencies also provide consumers and credit providers with credit reports.
You are entitled to one free credit report every year. A credit history provides a ‘picture’ of how you use credit. If you have ever owned a credit card, taken out a loan, or applied for a mobile phone plan you will have a credit history. Your credit history may include information such as loan inquiries, current loans, defaults, bankruptcies, and details about whether you pay your bills on time. This ‘picture’ is used by credit providers when deciding whether or not to approve an application for credit.
A credit report is a means to assess whether someone has attempted to obtain credit in your name. A yearly credit report is also a way you may monitor your file to ensure no errors are on your report. Errors may look like enquiries organisations have made about your credit you can’t explain.
Please Note: If you request your credit report, your current contact details will then become available to any lenders, creditors or debt collectors who check your report.
For more information please see our Credit Bans Fact Sheet and Suppressions Fact Sheet.
Australia
New Zealand
Identity Care Australia & New Zealand Ltd (IDCARE) provides identity and cyber security incident response services (the Services) in accordance with the following disclaimer of service:
IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber incident community support service. We are a not-for-profit charity.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this alert, IDCARE disclaims any liability to any person in respect to any actions performed or not performed as a result of the contents of the the Services or any accompanying data provided. Wider dissemination may be permitted by authority in writing from IDCARE’s Managing Director. If you would like to provide feedback please use our Feedback Form.
A credit report is a point in time snapshot of what credit related transactions you have made.
view fact sheetCryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum are digital currencies.
view fact sheetA data breach is the unauthorised disclosure or loss of personally identifiable information.
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