How to Get Removed From Early Warning Services

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3 Jul, 2024
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Banks rely on Early Warning Services to provide information on customers. Sometimes that information is inaccurate.

Early Warning Services is a leading reporting company for financial institutions. Banks get Early Warning Services’s reports on potential customers to assess the risk of opening an account with that customer. Sometimes those reports contain errors and the customer suffers. Here’s what a customer can do.

Has an error in an Early Warning Services report denied you a bank account or a check? Consumer Attorneys can help right those errors. We are here to help you navigate the world of consumer reporting, offer legal advice, and, if necessary, represent you in your Early Warning Services lawsuit. 

Fraud remains an increasingly huge problem in the United States and worldwide. In fact, 47% of Americans experienced financial identity theft in 2020, according to Aite Group, a recognized authority in the payment-integrity market. This is why Early Warning Services, LLC, (“Early Warning”) and other consumer reporting agencies exist.

However, a new Consumer Reports investigation found that more than one-third of the 6,000 participants in their Credit Checkup Project found mistakes on their credit reports, and many reported difficulties obtaining their free credit reports online.

Early Warning provides fraud management and prevention services for financial organizations and other businesses across the US. Seven of the country's largest banks own Early Warning. Part of Early Warning's role is to provide reports to financial institutions about consumers' banking transactions and banking histories.

What is Early Warning Services?

Early Warning is a financial services company established in 1991 and is now one of the most trusted and relied upon financial services companies in the United States. Early Warning helps financial institutions, government entities, and payment companies assess and minimize risk. Early Warning Services focuses on assisting banks and financial institutions with fraud prevention, identity verification, and risk management, with an emphasis on keeping financial transactions secure.

When a new customer applies for a bank account, or when merchants want to assess the risk of accepting a customer’s check, they contact Early Warning. Early Warning verifies a customer or potential customer’s financial data and authenticates their identities. This verification process is crucial in preventing fraud. Banks lose tens of billions of dollars from identity theft and unauthorized transactions every year. To combat this, Early Warning uses real-time analytics and other advanced technologies to analyze transaction patterns and detect potential fraud. To safeguard their interests and their customers' interests, financial institutions use Early Warning reports to take proactive measures against fraud.

Is Early Warning legit? Yes. Seven of the largest banks in the United States own Early Warning. These banks include Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, US Bank, and Wells Fargo. As a result, Early Warning operates with the backing and insight of some of the most influential financial institutions in the country.

Early Warning Consumer Report

Early Warning provides a document to banks,merchants, and financial institutions called the Early Warning Consumer Report, (the “Early Warning Report.”) The Early Warning Report is like a credit report but an Early Warning credit report focuses more on a person’s banking history, banking transactions, check writing history, check writing habits, overdraft history, account history, account management. They are looking for instances of fraud, account abuse, or patterns of activity that might indicate fraud. Banks and financial institutions use the Early Warning Report to assess the risk involved in opening a new account, offering a loan, or providing other banking services.

The Early Warning Report typically includes detailed information about a consumer's banking habits including:

  • Account history. This includes comprehensive information on all current and previous bank accounts and how the customer managed those accounts.
  • Overdraft records. The Early Warning Report includes records of all overdrafts, returned checks, or insufficient funds.
  • Fraud indicators. Any reported cases of fraudulent activity associated with the consumer’s banking transactions are on the report. Depending on the report, this could include habits or activities that indicate suspected fraud. A criminal record related to fraud or financial crimes may appear on the report also.
  • Account closures. Information on bank accounts closed by the institution, especially due to unpaid balances or suspected fraud.

Early Warning collects data for these reports from various sources, primarily financial institutions. The data collection process includes:

  • Banking information. Early Warning collects data from banks and credit unions on a customer’s account history, including overdrafts, account closures, and account management.
  • Fraud reports. Financial institutions report instances of suspected or confirmed fraud connected to specific accounts or transactions. Early Warning receives this data, maintains it, and if relevant, includes it on someone’s Early Warning Report.
  • Public records. Early Warning scans multiple public databases and judiciary records relating to financial transactions and financial health. They then include this information on their report.

Financial institutions rely on the Early Warning Report to make sound decisions about customers and assess the risk of doing business with those customers. Customers should be aware of the information in their Early Warning Report as it impacts their ability to open new bank accounts or obtain financial services. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), consumers have the right to request a free copy from Early Warning Services every year.

How to Get Removed from Early Warning Services

Getting removed from Early Warning is a crucial step in clearing your banking history and improving your financial profile. While most banking information will stay in your file for at least five years, you can dispute inaccuracies and manage existing information. Here’s how to manage your Early Warning Report:

  • Review your Early Warning Report. Under the FCRA, you can request and receive one free report from Early Warning every year. Request your report online, over the phone, or through U.S. mail. When you receive it, review it carefully. Confirm all the information is correct. Identify any inaccuracies or errors - no matter how small they seem. A mere misspelling or wrong digit in your account number can create huge problems.
  • Dispute inaccuracies. If you find errors or inaccuracies, file a dispute. A consumer law firm can help you with this. We recommend filing an Early Warning Services dispute via certified mail. The FCRA requires that Early Warning investigate disputes within 30 days. Search for and Provide any evidence that supports your claim. This could be bank statements, cleared debts, or correspondence with financial institutions.
  • Settle outstanding debts. If your Early Warning Report includes legitimate debts or unpaid fees, pay these as soon as you can. You can even contact the bank or institution and arrange payment. Once settled, request a letter confirming that the debt has been paid.
  • Follow-up. Early Warning should alert you of the results of their investigation within 30 days. Be persistent and follow up if they don’t. And when they do, confirm that they fixed the inaccuracies. If they haven’t, contact a credit report attorney right away.
  • Build banking history. Focus on maintaining a positive banking record. Avoid overdrafts, manage your accounts, and keep balances positive. Over time, this positive behavior will create enough history to help counter past negative history.
  • Seek legal advice. If you face challenges, if an Early Warning Report inaccuracy has already caused trouble for you, or Early Warning does not respond appropriately to your disputes, contact Consumer Attorneys.

Having a clean record with Early Warning can make your financial activities much smoother. But when information is inaccurate you have to dispute it.

How to Dispute Early Warning Services

An Early Warning Services dispute is necessary if you find inaccuracies in an Early Warning services consumer report. To do so, follow these steps:

  • Review your report. You can get a free report every year from Early Warning. Request this online through the Early Warning Services website, by phone, or by mail. Review the report thoroughly and carefully. Review for opening and closing dates of accounts, account numbers, account addresses, account transactions, and all account activity. Check spellings and addresses.
  • Identify inaccuracies. If you find errors or inaccuracies, mark them. These errors could include incorrect account details, fraudulent activities not committed by you, or paid debts still listed as outstanding. Errors can include double or duplicate accounts or mistakenly identifying you as deceased.
  • Gather proof. Collect any documents that support your position. This evidence might include bank statements, letters from financial institutions, legal documents, screenshots of accounts, and emails.
  • File your dispute. Send your dispute to Early Warning via certified mail. While you can do this online or by phone, doing so by mail preserves your right to sue later if Early Warning does not comply. Explain the inaccuracies and provide your supporting evidence. Reports lack inflection. If you failed a report, you might be able to explain it.
  • Follow up. The FCRA requires Early Warning to investigate and alert you of their decision in 30 days. Follow up to check your dispute's status and ensure it is being addressed.

You should contact Consumer Attorneys if you have been wronged or denied services by an error in an Early Warning services report. We will assess your case and determine how to remove early warning services or how best to file an Early Warning dispute. In some circumstances, we can take legal action in the form of an Early Warning Services lawsuit to hold Early Warning Services accountable and get you compensation for the damage Early Warning Services caused.

When Bank Account Applications or Personal Checks are Denied

You may have applied for a new bank account or attempted to use a personal check at a retail store only to be denied. If Early Warning issued its concerns to the bank or merchant regarding your consumer report, you might have your own concerns – enter Consumer Attorneys.

When consumers' rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) are violated, our attorneys step in to right the wrongs! You, like all American consumers, have your financial information stored in any number of databases. From those databases, financial reports are generated listing one's financial transactions and credit histories. The problem is consumer reports and credit reports can be riddled with errors.

If you question the accuracy of your Early Warning consumer report, you are entitled to request a free copy. If you find errors and file a dispute with Early Warning, and they do not remedy them within 30 days, you have grounds for a lawsuit.

False and damaging information should be remedied or removed as quickly as possible – you could be denied a mortgage loan, a car loan or lines of credit, and face other challenges. As our client, be assured that Consumer Attorneys will pursue justice and maximize financial damages.

If your bank application or check was declined, the FCRA requires the financial institution or merchant to provide you with an adverse action notice that includes the name and contact information of the consumer reporting agency that provided the consumer report – in this case, Early Warning Services.

If you want to contact Early Warning Services, LLC:

  • Address: 16552 North 90th Street – Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
  • Phone: 800-325-7775
  • Fax: 480-656-6850
  • Website: www.earlywarning.com

Consumer Attorneys serves consumers nationwide and represents them in state and federal courts. We will connect you with a consumer protection lawyer nearby who will assess your situation as part of a free case review. You can also take advantage of a free credit report analysis. Your situation’s circumstances may entitle you to financial compensation.

As a leading national consumer protection law firm, Consumer Attorneys offers its clients more than 10 years of consumer protection experience, including class action lawsuits, suspended accounts, and incorrect consumer accounts. Our lawyers' efforts have secured more than $100 million in monetary recovery for our clients.

Also, as a Consumer Attorneys client, you will pay no out-of-pocket fees. Our legal teams receive a fee only if they win on their client's behalf. We're ready to become your powerful advocate!

We'll Right the Wrong – Let's Talk!

Consumer Attorneys is here to help you with your next move!

  • Call +1 877-615-1725 for immediate assistance and a free case review.
  • Fill out our brief Contact Us form or initiate a LIVE CHAT – share your concerns.

Reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions, at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires Early Warning to give you one free Early Warning Consumer Report report every year. Request this report online, over the phone, or through the mail. When you receive it, review it carefully. Confirm all the information is correct. Identify any inaccuracies or errors - no matter how small they seem. A mere misspelling or wrong digit in your account number can create huge problems.

If you find errors or inaccuracies, you should file a dispute with Early Warning Services. First, gather the documents and any evidence that supports your claim. This could be bank statements, cleared debts, or correspondence with financial institutions. Next, file a dispute. We recommend filing an Early Warning Services dispute via certified mail so you don’t waive any rights to sue them later. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that Early Warning investigate disputes within 30 days. You may need to follow up with them.

Yes. Early Warning Services, LLC is one of the largest financial services companies. It was established in 1991 and is now one of the most trusted and relied upon financial services companies in the United States. EarlyWarning helps financial institutions, government entities, and payment companies assess and minimize risk. Early Warning Services focuses on assisting banks and financial institutions with fraud prevention, identity verification, and risk management, with an emphasis on keeping financial transactions secure. Seven large U.S. banks own Early Earning. These banks include Bank of America, Chase, PNC Bank, BB&T, Capital One, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and US Bank. As a result, Early Warning operates with the backing and insight of some of the most influential financial institutions in the country.

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Daniel Cohen is the Founder of Consumer Attorneys. Daniel manages the firm’s branding, marketing, client intake and business development efforts. Since 2017, he is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the National Consumer Law Center. Mr. Cohen is a nationally-recognized practitioner of consumer protection law. He has a we... Read more

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