Get Anyone's Credit Report For Free
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by Renaldo

There are any number of reasons why you may want to obtain someone's credit
report. This article isn't meant to speculate why, but how. Obtaining a credit
report on someone and remaining anonymous is pretty simple. I used to work for
one of the largest finance companies in the US, and spent day after day pulling
credit investigations.

Credit bureaus get information about you from four major sources:

1. Other Credit Bureaus 
2. Government Agencies 
3. Creditors 
4. You

The thing to remember is that credit bureaus believe information from the first
three all of the time, and information from you only part of the time. If
you are trying to contest something on your credit report, they'll choose
whether or not to believe you at their own whim. Really, there's no rhyme or
reason to it. However, if you are applying for credit, they want to believe
what you're tel ling them, at least to a degree.

Credit bureaus aren't stupid. They're not going to believe that you're
suddenly a millionaire, have more assets than you did last time you applied
for credit, or that you're older/younger than you really are. They are more
than willing to believe that you can't remember your own social
security number, but that you do remember your own address.

To get the credit report is pretty easy. Get a Visa or department store credit
card application - anything that you can mail in anonymously will work. Fill
in your target's name, and put their current address as the previous address.
For the current address put in your anonymous mail drop or PO box number.
Don't fill anything else out. Just mail it in as is.

When the credit bureau receives the application, they won't have a social
security number on it. So they will run the name and try to match addresses.
They'll find your target by the previous address on the application. Since
you didn't fill anything else out, the application will get denied and
a refusal letter sent to your mail drop.

In the US, if you are turned down for credit you get a copy of the report they
based their decisionon. The refusal letter will have the instructions
necessary to get that report, which is usually just sending that letter to the
credit bureau, who will then send you the free credit report in return.

It's pretty easy, and I'm surprised it doesn't get done more when you think
about what kind of information a credit report contains. You get an entire past
credit history, any legal judgments, social security number, and sometimes
mother's maiden name, and driver's license number too.

It's important that you only fill out the name and addresses on the
application. Guessing wrong on any information like birthday, phone, etc. may
not create an accurate enough match for the credit bureau. Also, filling out
a complete application may result in the application being approved, which will
only send someone after you. You don't want that... trust me.