In 2001, new privacy laws made it illegal for credit reporting agencies to share your confidential information with marketers without your explicit consent. Until then, credit reporting agencies routinely sold names, addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and other personal information in their databases to marketing agencies, who would use that information for targeted marketing campaigns.
However, CRAs are still allowed to generate and sell lists of appropriate candidates for pre-approved credit or insurance offers. If you have ever received an offer in the mail for pre-approved credit or insurance, chances are your name appears on a list of pre-qualified candidates compiled by one of the major credit reporting agencies.
Opt out
You can use the following toll-free phone number, provided by the credit reporting agencies, to have your name removed from CRA lists and opt out of many pre-approved credit card and insurance offers:
In 2001, new privacy laws made it illegal for credit reporting agencies to share your confidential information with marketers without your explicit consent. Until then, credit reporting agencies routinely sold names, addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and other personal information in their databases to marketing agencies, who would use that information for targeted marketing campaigns.