Credit Privacy Numbers: Why a CPN Is Not a Fresh Start
A lot of people search for a way to start over with a clean credit file. CPNs are sold as that answer. They are not. Using one on a credit application is fraud, and the number itself is often stolen from a real person.
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- No government agency issues credit privacy numbers.
- Using one in place of your Social Security number on a credit application is misrepresentation.
- The numbers are frequently real Social Security numbers taken from children and other people.
- People have been criminally prosecuted for buying and using them.
- Anyone selling you one is not going to be there when the lender or the FBI asks questions.
What Sellers Claim, and What Is True
Claim: It is legal because of a privacy law
No federal law creates or recognizes a credit privacy number for use on credit applications. Sellers point to privacy language that has nothing to do with identifying yourself to a lender.
Claim: You get a fresh credit file
Credit files are built on your Social Security number, your name, and your history. Applying under a different number does not erase what already exists, it just adds a false application to it.
Claim: Celebrities and business owners use them
This is a sales line. Business credit does exist, but it is built with a real business, a real EIN used for business purposes, and usually a personal guarantee from you.
Claim: The number is unassigned so nobody is hurt
Investigations have repeatedly found these numbers belong to real people, often children. Using one can make you part of an identity theft against someone who will not discover it for years.
What Actually Gives You a Fresh Start
Legal, free, and it works
- Dispute the items on your report that are genuinely wrong. That is free.
- Let the seven year clock run on accurate items. It runs whether you do anything or not.
- Settle or resolve old collections so nobody can sue you.
- Open a secured card, use a little, pay it in full monthly.
- Keep card balances low, since utilization updates every month.
- If bankruptcy is the honest answer, that is a legal fresh start with real rules.
Start with what credit repair actually is, then how to improve your credit score and how bankruptcy works if the debt is beyond repair.
If You Already Bought One
- Stop using the number and do not apply for anything else with it.
- Pull all three reports and look for accounts you do not recognize.
- Report at IdentityTheft.gov if the number appears to belong to someone else.
- File complaints against the seller with the CFPB and the FTC.
- Talk to a consumer attorney if accounts were already opened under it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a credit privacy number?
A CPN is a nine digit number sold online as a private alternative to your Social Security number, marketed as a way to start a brand new credit file. There is no federal program that issues them and no law that recognizes them for credit applications.
Are CPNs legal?
Nothing makes it legal to use a made up nine digit number in place of your Social Security number on a credit application. Doing that is misrepresentation on a loan application, and it can also be identity theft if the number belongs to a real person.
Where do the numbers actually come from?
Reporting by federal agencies and consumer groups has repeatedly found that CPNs are often real Social Security numbers taken from people unlikely to be using credit, including children, prison inmates, and people who have died. Buying one can mean using a stolen identity, whether or not you knew.
What can happen to me if I use one?
Denied applications and closed accounts are the mild version. Loan applications filed with false identifying information can bring federal charges, including fraud and identity theft, and people have been prosecuted and sentenced. You can also be sued and left owing on accounts opened under a number that was never yours.
Is an EIN a legal substitute?
No. An employer identification number is for a business and its tax filings. Using an EIN in place of your Social Security number on a personal credit application is the same misrepresentation wearing a different label.
What should I do if I already bought one?
Stop using it immediately and do not open anything else with it. Check all three credit reports for accounts you do not recognize, report to IdentityTheft.gov if the number appears tied to someone else, file a complaint with the CFPB and the FTC against the seller, and talk to a consumer attorney if accounts were already opened.
There Is a Legal Way Out of This
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Sources
- FTC. How to avoid a credit repair scam(opens in a new tab)
- Social Security Administration. Identity theft and your Social Security number(opens in a new tab)
- IRS. Employer identification number(opens in a new tab)
- CFPB. Submit a complaint(opens in a new tab)
- IdentityTheft.gov. Report identity theft and get a recovery plan(opens in a new tab)
Federal rules are cited directly. State law varies, so state-specific timelines and exemptions should be confirmed with your state's statutes or a local attorney.