The practice of "buying a new credit file" is generally marketed through the sale of , which are falsely advertised as legal replacements for Social Security numbers (SSNs) to hide poor credit history. In reality, these numbers are not government-issued, and using them to apply for credit is a form of federal fraud and identity theft . Understanding the CPN Scam
: While legitimate SSNs are issued for free, scammers may charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for a CPN. Legal and Financial Consequences What Is a Credit Privacy Number (CPN)? | TransUnion buy new credit file
: A CPN is a nine-digit number formatted exactly like an SSN (XXX-XX-XXXX). The practice of "buying a new credit file"
: These numbers are typically either completely made up or, more commonly, stolen SSNs belonging to children, the elderly, or incarcerated individuals. Legal and Financial Consequences What Is a Credit
: Scammers often claim CPNs are a legal way to "reset" credit or protect privacy, often citing the Privacy Act of 1974 as justification—this is entirely incorrect.