By Laurie Whittier
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Earlier this fall, Mason Finks, from Communities Against Senior Exploitation (CASE), returned to Wind Crest for an encore presentation. He supplied community members with tips for safeguarding their credit.

Finks’ “Fraud Prevention” seminar was conducted as part of the first Center for Continuous Learning series in April. His latest presentation kicked off Wind Crest’s second educational series. All seminars are free and open to the public.

Finks advised people to take precautions such as checking your credit report once a year for inaccuracies.

Safe credit tips
“Don’t just look at your accounts and payment history. It’s also important to make sure your name is spelled correctly and that your previous addresses are accurate,” Finks said. If a house at an incorrect address appears on your credit report and goes into foreclosure, that financially crippling information could be placed on your credit report—albeit erroneously, he said.

It pays to be proactive
Finks revealed that 45–80% of credit reports contain errors. And since each one of us is responsible for the accuracy of our own credit report, he  recommends that everyone take advantage of the free annual credit report they’re entitled to by federal law.

Finks provided other helpful tips including how many credit cards you should have, how high of a balance you should carry to get the best credit scores, and why no one should carry their Social Security cards on their person. He also suggested everyone photocopy the front and back of their credit cards for safekeeping— to make it easier to cancel them in the event that they’re lost or stolen.

To request your free credit report, visit www. annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. If you suspect possible fraud against you or your credit, call the CASE Fraud Assistance Hotline at 720-874-8547.