There’s a good chance at some point you might be forced to check your credit reference bureau status for personal reasons i.e just to make sure you’re not blacklisted, or when seeking services that require clearance of the same. Now the above two reasons fall within “normal” circumstances; but what if you’ve been targeted by fraudsters who register SIM cards using someone else details and take loans with their names? it’s a scenario that most of us would easily choose to ignore, but let’s face it – many Kenyans have so far fallen victim of these scams.
Technology advancements in the mobile loan applications have so far revolutionized the sector; nowadays, it takes minutes to apply and get approved for a loan using a mobile phone – which is a good thing. But at the same time, fraudsters have exploited this simplicity to steal other people’s identities by applying for such short term loans using their credentials without consent.
Identity theft
A few years back, identity theft was unimaginable within the country, there was no good reason for fraudsters to steal your identity; however, things have changed tremendously ever since. Today, personal details landing in the wrong person can be such a horror, there are numerous financial services someone could undertake without having to visit a banking hall for example. It’s unfortunate how so many organizations have embraced technology by moving important services online with less regard to the possibility of privacy invasion and safety of such data.
Most Kenyans have at some point been required to provide Identification details such as ID/Passport number as well as mobile phone number whether making an MPESA transaction or to access a certain office. These details could very well be used to apply for a loan and so forth.
Credit reference bureaus play a very important role in identifying loan defaulters – as a security measure to financial institution; however, most of us do not know how to check whether they’re in the clear or not. The process is fairly straight forward and none of us need to wait until they’ve been denied a loan to learn that some institution blacklisted them.
Three main Credit reference bureaus in Kenya;
- TransUnion (CRB Africa)
- Metropol Corporation
- CreditInfo
How to check your Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) status with TransUnion via a text message
- To start off, you’ll need to register with the bureau by sending your full names to 21272.
- You’ll incur text message charges of Ksh.19
- Enter your ID no then choose Credit Status
- You’ll receive your CRB status. If you receive ‘good’, it means you are not blacklisted but ‘default’ means you are blacklisted.
How to check your Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) status with Metropol via a text message
- You’ll need to pay a registration fee of sh.50 through the paybill number 220388
- Enter your ID number as the account number.
- You’ll receive a text message with a unique pin, a reference number and a special link
- Dial *433# and put your PIN and you will receive your CRB status.
How to check your Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) status with CreditInfo via a text message
- Currently CreditInfo does not have a text based method
- To check your status on CreditInfo, you will need to fill their request form online.