My son and his wife were married for two years. They had purchased a home and were thinking about getting a second vehicle. My son decided that he would get personal credit reports before trying to finance a vehicle, so they could secure the best loan. When they received their personal credit reports back his wife had several outstanding debts that had been incurred since they bought their home. There were two credit cards taken out in her name. Both cards had charges to the maximum level and also cash advances had been taken out. No payments had been made.

My son and his wife contacted the credit card companies to check out the information that was in the personal credit reports. The credit card applications had been made on the internet and my son's wife's information was used to fill them out. The credit card companies assigned a fraud investigator to the case. He discovered that someone had accessed my son's wife's personal information by hacking into the bank records that carried the loan information. The thief did not access their accounts, but rather took their personal information to apply for credit cards. It took several months but the credit rating was finally restored.

My son and his wife are both business professionals that try to be very careful about letting their personal information get out. They are very glad that they decided to get personal credit reports so that they discovered that someone was using their identity to steal. They now have personal credit reports completed twice a year to be safe. They are using a reputable company that secures their information. Their bank agreed to pay for the personal credit reports for two years. This seems only fair since it was the bank's system that was breached. It is scary to think that a few strokes on a key board can wipe you out financially. It is important to use a company that has a good reputation to have your credit rating completed. There are many companies that advertise that they will do your credit rating for free, but watch out, they are just trying to get your personal information.