Can I create a new credit file with another Social Security Number?

Using an alternative social security number (usually an EIN or employee tax identification number) was once a common strategy employed by credit repair companies. Federal law later made it illegal to perform these "file segregations" as a business. The technique is called "file segregation" because by using another social security number and new identification you cause the credit bureaus to generate another report for a person that doesn't really exist, and then use that new report to obtain credit.

One of the problems with this technique is that it requires that you lie on applications for credit, which in most states is a criminal offense.

Advocates of file segregation make complicated arguments to justify the practice of using false information, but these arguments are routinely rejected by federal and state regulators and law enforcement. While file segregation can sometimes work, many who have used file segregation techniques have quickly found themselves ensued in legal and financial trouble.


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