How to find accounts in your name
Anybody with your ID, Social Security number, name, date of birth, and address could potentially open a bank account in your name. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) data, bank account fraud was the fourth most common type of identity theft in 2023, after credit card fraud and loans.
In this article, we’re going to talk about how to find bank accounts in your name, what to do if you find accounts in your name that you don’t recognize, and how to prevent credit card fraud in the future.
How do I find out all the bank accounts in my name?
To find all accounts in your name:
- Review your credit report to see all current and past credit accounts.
- Review your ChexSystems report for a full recap of your banking activity.
- Review online banking statements to make sure you know of all the accounts you hold at your bank.
Fortunately, there are several ways to check if you have any fraudulent accounts or old accounts opened in the past and long forgotten.
Pull your credit report from AnnualCreditReport
You can receive free weekly reports from each of the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The program was set to expire, reverting to free credit reports available every year, but in October 2023, the FTC announced it would become permanent to tackle identity and credit card fraud.
To access and request a free copy of your credit report, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. You’ll be asked to fill out a form and select one of the three bureaus. Once redirected to their website, you’ll have to provide additional information to confirm your identity. Once done, the agency’s credit record will be available for review and download.
Your credit report is valuable for potential lenders because it provides a detailed account of your past and current debts and loans. However, your credit reports don’t include savings and checking accounts, investments, or purchase records.
Note: Be aware that all of the major credit agencies in the US are also the ones that collect the greatest amount of your personal information. TransUnion and Equifax, in particular, own the most data broker subsidiaries, which means that they are actively involved in collecting and selling your data. They are, unfortunately, the only way to process your credit reports in the US. Consider opting out as soon as you no longer need them.
Review your ChexSystems report
To see the activity on all accounts, including savings accounts, checking and money market accounts, and even past identity theft reports, you can consult a free, yearly disclosure report from another consumer reporting agency, ChexSystems. To request a copy of your banking history, go to chexsystems.com, click “disclosure reports,” and select “consumer disclosure.” Scroll down to fill out a form and submit it.
Review online bank statements
You can only review bank statements of the bank accounts you’re aware of, but we still recommend doing it regularly. Go through your transactions and look for suspicious activity.
Make sure to check no new account has been opened in your name. In the past, banks have been accused of opening accounts for customers to hit sales targets.
What to do if you find credit card accounts in your name?
Suppose you pulled your credit report and noticed an account you don’t recognize. It could be a fraudulent account or an old one you forgot about. Either way, it’s best not to wait and take the following steps.
Change your passwords
Even if you’re not entirely sure and don’t want to raise a fraud alert just yet, it’s always a good idea to start by updating your passwords. For security reasons, updating your passwords regularly is recommended, and you might prevent the perpetrator from accessing your account again. Better yet, set up multi-factor authentication for your bank accounts to make them even more secure.
Next, contact the financial institution in question.
Contact the bank and the credit union
Call the bank that holds the account and enquire about it. Check when and why it was opened, and ask to review transaction details. This will help you decide if you have been a victim of identity theft. Ask to close or freeze the account so that no other transactions can be made without your knowledge.
Place a fraud alert on your credit report
Next, contact one of the three credit bureaus. There is no need to alert all three of them, as the one you contact must notify the other two. A fraud alert, also called a security alert, is a notification you can add to your credit report. It’ll require all potential creditors to verify your identification before extending credit in your name.
Here are the contact details for placing an alert over the phone or submitting an online fraud alert:
- Equifax, 1-800-525-6285
- Experian, 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion, 1-800-680-7289
A fraud alert is free and lasts one year. You can lift it earlier if you decide you no longer need it.
Place a credit freeze
To further protect your finances from fraudulent charges, you can initiate a security freeze on your credit reports. A credit freeze will prevent all creditors from accessing your credit report and granting any credit in your name, fraudulent or not. This step is more extreme than the one described above, but it’s the best way to protect your credit in case of identity theft.
Contact one of the three credit agencies to initiate a security freeze. It’s free and will last until you decide to lift it.
Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission
It’s important to file an identity theft report, as this will help you recover your credit score if it’s been impacted by the fraudulent activity you’ve discovered. The website is also a great resource to help you manage identity theft-related fraud.
Go to identitytheft.gov, and click “get started.” Select “I want to report identity theft” and select applicable options from the list that follows. Once you’re done, you’ll be taken to the fraud report form. Completing the report will allow you to place an extended fraud alert on your credit reports and be helpful when filing a police report.
Place an extended fraud alert
An extended fraud alert is only available if you report identity theft to the FTC. Just like a regular fraud alert, it’ll require the creditor to confirm your identity before granting new accounts or loans in your name. But the extended version of it is granted for seven years.
With this alert, you’ll also be taken off the marketing lists for unsolicited credit and insurance offers for five years unless you proactively object.
The extended fraud alert is free and can be initiated and removed by contacting one of the three credit unions.
File a police report
Don’t skip this important step, it’ll help you dispute fraudulent accounts and charges. Some financial institutions require this document to accompany your fraud affidavit, a form requesting your statement to be corrected. This will help you to have the illegally opened accounts and lines of credit closed.
To file a report, go to your local police with the following documents:
- Your FTC identity theft report
- A valid ID
- Proof of address
- Any proof you have of the theft .
Rectify your bank accounts and credit report
Once the fraud is reported and your credit reports are secured from further fraud, it’s time to repair the damage. Contact each of the financial institutions involved (bank or credit card issuer) and ask to have the bogus charges removed. Submit your police and FTC reports to back your request.
Next, write to each of the credit bureaus and ask them to block the fraudulent activity from their report. The FTC even provides a template for such a letter, ready to fill in, and recommends other steps, depending on your circumstances. Make sure to check their website for guidance.
How to prevent credit card fraud in the future
If you have ever been a victim of financial fraud, you know very well that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Track your accounts regularly, and check every line of your bank statements. Request and review your credit reports at least twice a year to be sure no new accounts are opened in your name without your knowledge.
Above all, take better care of your online footprint. Fraudsters need several data points to pass for another person. They must have easily found all the information they needed about you online. Remove personal information from social media accounts or set them to private, opt out of people search sites, and try to remove as much information about yourself from the internet as possible. We have a guide on how to do this for free.
Taking your personal information off the internet is time-consuming. Once removed, it’s very likely your data will resurface again. Consider a data removal service like Incogni to help you save time by doing the job for you.
FAQ
Can someone see your bank records?
Accessing your bank records without your knowledge and consent is illegal. Bank records contain valuable and sensitive information and can only be accessed by others based on a court subpoena or a police warrant. That said, criminals could access your bank records if they get hold of your login credentials.
The best way to check if there is a bank account in your name that you’re unaware of is to pull a copy of your banking history from ChexSystems. This consumer reporting agency can issue a free yearly disclosure report that will include activity on all your accounts, including savings accounts.
Is there an app to view bank accounts?
Many apps will allow you to view all your accounts in one place. The primary purpose of these apps is to help you manage your finances. Some of them also collect an extensive amount of data about your spending, so make sure to carefully review the privacy policy before signing up for one. Read our research on banking apps for a detailed comparison.
How do I find my old bank accounts?
The best way to find old bank accounts is to pull your credit and ChexSystems records. You can obtain free credit records from any of the three major credit agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). The ChexSystem report is more comprehensive and shows all your banking history (not only your loans). It’s available free of charge once a year.
