
TransUnion Hawk Messages
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Credit Correction Service
Camp Site
Secretarial Service
Check Cashing Service
Restaurant/Bar/Nightclub
Storage Facility
Airport/Airfield
Truck Stop
CommercialAddress matches a list of commercial, non-residential addresses on the HAWKSM database.
Applicant may be in temporary residence.
Applicant may be an employee or resident at commercial site.
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Telephone number: Contact applicant at telephone number.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Address is a …
Correction Institution Hospital or Clinic
InstitutionalAddress matches a list of commercial, non-residential addresses on the HAWKSM database.
Applicant may be in temporary residence or incarcerated.
Applicant may be an employee or resident at residential institution.
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Telephone number: Contact applicant at telephone number.
- Employment
Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Address is a …
U.S. Post Office
Governmental
Address matches a list of commercial, non-residential addresses on the HAWKSM database.
Applicant may be renting a P.O. Box.
Applicant may be in temporary residence or an employee at a governmental site.
Applicant may be misusing governmental address to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Telephone number: Contact applicant at telephone number.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
SSN is Reported DeceasedSocial Security Number associated with a deceased person Applicant may be using SSN to commit fraud under another person’s identity or to create new identity
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Input Address has been Used # Times in the Last (30,60,90) Days
Input SSN has been Used # Times in the Last (30,60,90) Days
The address or SSN was used on multiple TransUnionSM
inquiries within the listed time frame.
Applicant may be applying for new credit
Members of the applicant’s household may be applying for credit
Someone other than the applicant may be using the address/SSN to commit a fraud.
Confirm recent credit activity with consumer
Look for discrepancies between the two messages:
- If the address counter is larger than the SSN counter, verify if other members of the applicant’s household have recently applied for credit.
- If the SSN counter is larger than the address counter, contact applicant. Applicant may be a fraud victim.
Compare to Inquiry section of the Credit Report
- If all numbers are equal, applicant may be legitimately attempting to increase his/her amount of credit.
- Look for inquiries which have not generated new trade lines.
Address, SSN, or Telephone Number Reported by More Than One SourceMore than one subscriber has previously reported at least on of the input or file elements as suspicious.
Applicant may have been a victim of an account takeover
A fraud perpetrator may have used some of the input or file information to fraudulently obtain credit
Applicant may be attempting to obtain credit fraudulently
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Evaluate other HAWK-ALERTSM
messages; proceed with recommended action given under those messages.
Note: generally, this message will appear in conjunction with other HAWK -ALERTSM messages, and will provide a stronger indication of potential fraud.
Input Address(es), SSN, and/or Telephone Number Reported Together in Suspected MisuseAt least two of the input elements were used together previously in suspected or confirmed fraud.
Applicant may have been a victim of an account takeover
Applicant may be attempting to obtain credit fraudulently
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact applicant; attempt to determine if applicant has previously been a victim of fraud.
Address has been Reported More Than Once (up to 10 unit #s or POB #s can be appended to the message)The address is a multi-unit building or a rural route, and the address has previously been reported to HAWKSM as questionable. Same street address reported to HAWKSM with more than one apt. # or POB #.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer and verify information
Examine unit numbers / POB numbers appended to end of message, looking for possible fraud trends.
Input SSN Associated with Additional Subject(s) Not Displayed or Returned
The TransUnionSM
database links the input SSN to more than one consumer’s file.
Person other than the applicant may have used this SSN improperly
Applicant may have intentionally used the SSN in fraudulent activity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Are other HAWKSM messages provided?
- Look for inconsistencies (e.g. SSN Used in Death Benefits Claim message will indicated the decedent’s name)
Contact consumer and verify application information.
Pull a TransUnionSM
TRACESM or TRACEplusSM report for a full list of all consumers linked to the SSN on the TransUnionSM database.
Address …
SSN …
Telephone Number …Requires Further InvestigationAddress/SSN/Telephone Number matches information on the HAWKSM database.
Applicant may be a victim of someone misusing his identity
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Address is a Multi-Unit BuildingAddress matches address of multi-unit building, such as an apartment building address, on the HAWKSM database.
Applicant may be a victim of someone misusing his identity
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
SSN May Have Been Issued in ErrorSSN may have been issued to more than one person. SSN may have been assigned to one region, but issued in another region Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Clear for All Searches PerformedNone of the processed HAWKSM searches generated an indication of potential fraud. Continue processing the application.
Telephone Number is a(n)…
Answering Service
Cellular Telephone
Public/Pay Telephone
Commercial
Institutional
Governmental
Telephone Number matches a list of various non-residential telephone numbers on the HAWKSM database.
Applicant may be in temporary residence.
Applicant may be misusing nonresidential telephone number to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Address …
SSN …
Telephone Number …Reported Misused and Requires Further InvestigationAddress/SSN/Telephone Number matches address or SSN or telephone number on HAWKSM file reported used in a potential or known fraud.
Applicant may be a victim of someone misusing his identity.
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Address is a Multi-Unit Building Reported Misused and Requires Further InvestigationAddress matches multi-unit building address, such as an apartment building address, on HAWKSM file reported used in a potential or known fraud.
Applicant may be a victim of someone misusing his identity.
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Address …
SSN …
Telephone Number …Reported as SuspiciousAddress/SSN/Telephone Number matches address, SSN or telephone number on HAWKSM file that could not be verified when it was used on a previous application.
Applicant may be a victim of someone misusing his identity.
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors
Address is a Multi-Unit Building Reported as SuspiciousAddress matches multi-unit building address on HAWKSM file, such as an apartment building address, that could not be verified when it was used on a previous application.
Applicant may be a victim of someone misusing his identity.
Applicant may be misusing application information to create new identity or to obtain credit under another’s legitimate identity.
Verify accuracy of operator input.
Contact consumer using information on application.
Verify address through other sources, e.g. White Pages, directory assistance, etc.
Verify other information on application.
- Employment
- Credit references from financial institutions or other creditors.
HAWKSM messages serve as advisory tools only. Credit cannot be denied based on HAWKSM messages.
You may also find these pages of interest:
- TransUnion Credit Report Codes – What are they and what do they mean.?
- TransUnion Empirica Scoring Codes – How to make sense out of these codes.
- TransUnion Key To The Credit Report – Here are the key codes to help you understand your TransUnion credit report.