Why does CreditRefresh ask me to verify my identity?
CreditRefresh verifies your identity because the credit bureau must confirm it is really you before sharing your report. You provide your Social Security number and date of birth, then answer security questions the bureau generates. Your SSN is encrypted and used only for verification. You can also upload identity documents in your settings.
Why CreditRefresh asks you to verify your identity
CreditRefresh asks you to verify your identity because connecting your credit report requires it. The credit bureau has to confirm it is really you before it will share your report, since that report holds sensitive financial details that belong only to you.
Verification is a one-time step during setup. Once the bureau confirms your identity, CreditRefresh can pull your reports from all three bureaus and start scanning them for errors.
What you provide to verify
You provide your full Social Security number and date of birth, and then you answer a few security questions the bureau generates. The bureau builds those questions from records it already has, so only you should know the answers.
The security questions come straight from the bureau, not from CreditRefresh. Answer each one, and if you are asked for a passcode the bureau sent you, enter it to finish.
Is my Social Security number safe
Your Social Security number is encrypted and used only to verify your identity with the bureau. It is not shown back to you in full and it is not used for anything outside verification.
Providing your SSN and date of birth is how the bureaus confirm the request is coming from you and not someone else. This is the same information a bureau requires any time you ask to see your own report.
If verification does not go through
If verification fails, you can double-check your details and try again. A small typo in your Social Security number, date of birth, or address is the most common reason the bureau cannot match you.
Confirm that the name and address on your profile match what the bureaus have on file, then retry. If it still does not go through, contact support and we can help you sort out what the bureau needs.
Uploading identity documents
Separately from setup, the Documents section in your settings lets you upload identity documents that may be needed to verify your identity for disputes. You choose the document type and upload it, and each document shows a status of pending, approved, or rejected.
The document types you can upload are:
- ID front and ID back
- Social Security card
- Proof of address
- Identity theft report
If it is easier to photograph a document with your phone, you can scan a QR code to continue the upload there. Uploading a document does not by itself send it anywhere. It is stored so it is available if a bureau or a dispute needs it.
Related articles
Yes. CreditRefresh treats credit and personal data as sensitive by default. Bureau pulls are soft inquiries that don't affect your score. Credentials are encrypted, used only for dispute work. Your data isn't sold to advertisers or third parties — it stays in our systems for finding errors, drafting letters, and tracking outcomes.
You connect once, from your dashboard. CreditRefresh verifies your identity (name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, plus the bureaus' identity questions) and pulls your reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through a regulated credit-data provider. The pulls are soft inquiries, so connecting never affects your credit score.
After signup you connect your credit profile, and CreditRefresh pulls your reports from all three bureaus as soft inquiries. The AI then runs its first scan, checking every line item for inaccuracies and FCRA violations. Anything disputable shows up as a drafted letter to review. Nothing mails until you approve it, and after that the platform tracks each bureau's 30-day response window.
Identity theft victims get extra FCRA tools beyond normal disputes. With an FTC identity theft report you can require bureaus to block fraudulent information within 4 business days under Section 605B, place a free 7-year extended fraud alert, get fraud-related documents from businesses, and stop collectors from reporting debts that resulted from the theft.