One of the most frequent calls we get here in the office is about spam phone calls. Our clients, as are we, are inundated with calls about Medicare and scammers trying to get you to change your Medicare plan. While there is no way to completely stop this activity, there are some ways you can cut down on the phone calls and the mailbox junk mail you receive.
The credit bureaus make money by selling your information to DMA’s (Direct Marketing Agencies). These are the companies that then re-sell your information to the spammers and junk mail companies. Here are the ways to reduce that problem.
1 – contact each of the 3 credit agencies and have yourself opted-out. The instructions are below.
2 – Do no answer calls from unknown numbers and block them and/or report them as spam
www.experian.com
How to Opt Out of Preapproved Credit Offers
There are actually two types of credit offers you’re likely to see in your mailbox (or your online inbox): firm credit offers based on credit report information and direct-mail marketing appeals that are sent more broadly. Here’s how to deal with each.
How to Opt Out of Firm Credit Offers
To opt out of preapproved credit and insurance offer lists, call 888-5-OPTOUT (888-567-8688) or submit a request online at OptOutPrescreen.com. You’ll need to provide your name, Social Security number and date of birth along with the request.
You can opt out of prescreened offers for five years using the phone or online option. If you want a permanent opt-out, you’ll need to complete and mail in a form you can print from the website or request by mail using the phone line.
The OptOutPrescreen phone line and website are run cooperatively by Experian, TransUnion, Equifax and Innovis. Submitting one request removes you from lists maintained by all four bureaus.
How to Opt Out of Other Direct Marketing Offers
Credit and insurance solicitations are not always based on credit criteria, so opting out of preapproved offers won’t necessarily halt all mailings and phone offers of those products. You can further reduce the number of unsolicited offers you receive (for financial products and many others) by doing the following:
- Visit DMAchoice.org to create an account with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and decide which mail you want to receive from DMA members. There’s a service fee for removing your name from target lists for 10 years—$6 if you place the request online, $7 if you submit it by postal mail.
- Request to be taken off non-DMA mailing and marketing lists, such as those by Epsilon, RetailMeNot and Valpak.
- Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry.
Online
To opt out for five years, you can make a request online by visiting optoutprescreen.com. This site is the official consumer credit reporting industry website to process these requests. It’s run by four credit bureaus, including TransUnion. You’ll fill out a form with your personal information including your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number.
To permanently opt out, you can start the request process online at optoutprescreen.com, but you will need to confirm your request in writing by mailing in a signed form. You can learn more at optoutprescreen.com.
Opting out through optoutprescreen.com will remove you from mailing lists from TransUnion, Experian, Equifax and Innovis.
Phone
Call 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688) toll free to opt out by phone.
Like the online request process, you will need to provide personal information in order to complete your request. You can opt out over the phone for five years or start the request process to permanently opt out. If you want to opt out permanently by phone, you will need to confirm your request in writing by mailing in a signed form.
Opting out through this phone number will remove you from mailing lists from TransUnion, Experian, Equifax and Innovis.
You can also mail your five year or permanent opt out request directly to TransUnion. Please note that if you mail an opt out request to TransUnion, we will remove you from our mailing lists. We’ll also share your opt out request with the other major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and Innovis) so they can remove you from their mailing lists. If you mail in an opt out request to Experian, Equifax or Innovis, they will share that request with us as well.
TransUnion Opt Out Request
P.O. Box 505
Woodlyn, PA 19094
When mailing your written request, please include the following information:
- First, middle and last names (including Jr., Sr., III)
- Current address
- Previous address (if you’ve moved in the last six months)
- Home area code and telephone number (If you’re a resident of Pennsylvania or Wyoming, you can provide your phone number to register for Telephone Preference Service, the official Do Not Call list for those states)
- Social Security Number
- Date of birth
- Signature
Additional Resources
Visit the FTC’s website to learn more about prescreened offers for credit and insurance
Visit the CFPB’s website to learn about reducing credit card offers you receive in the mail
Contacting the Direct Marketing Association
Consumers also have the opportunity to opt-out of commercial mailing and telephone lists from other sources.
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) can provide information about opting out of lists produced by companies that subscribe to their Mail and Telephone Preference Services. You can contact the DMA online at https://dmachoice.org/ or by phone at 212-768-7277.
How do I opt out of pre-screened credit offers?
Equifax Information Services LLC maintains your credit file and provides information to certain customers, including credit card companies and lenders, so that they may extend firm offers of credit or insurance to consumers as permitted by the FCRA. If you prefer not to receive such offers, you can remove your name from pre-screened credit or insurance offer mailing lists from Equifax, TransUnion, Experian, and Innovis by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.
You may also send your request in writing to:
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 740123
Atlanta, GA 30374-0123
Please include your complete name, full address, Social Security number and signature. Equifax will remove your name from pre-screened lists and share your request with Experian, TransUnion and Innovis.