The bureau's requests for driver's licenses and utility bills has long irritated me.

So, make a copy of your driver's license, and make sure they can NOT read the number. Your driver's license number is none of their business!

Unfortunately, in many States the driver's license # is the SAME as the ss# - collectors probably know that.

If you send them a copy of your phone bill - make sure they can't read the PHONE NUMBER. Otherwise, it WILL be on your credit report.

I feel that including the pages of my credit report with the disputed accounts is PLENTY of ID. Since I obviously HAVE the report, how could I be someone else and WHY would someone else dispute MY derogatory accounts FOR me?????

Well, that's the subject of My Small Claims complaint against TU - now in Civil Court

The credit bureaus ARE debt collectors, the information you provide WILL be used against you.

More on avoiding collectors is at Disputing PREVIOUS addresses with Experian so they can't verify accounts as yours

Can't you also opt out giving them your ss#?

In Canada, the Social Insurance Number (a similar nine-digit number for everybody) is always OPTIONAL by law on anything but employment applications and dealing with tax authorities. The bureaus always ask for it, but in fine print it always must say "optional." They say they need it for cross-checking, but they ask for other pieces of ID so they can just use that instead.

I like the idea of a, say, a 6 to eight digit pin number assigned to all who need access to credit files. After all, I bank at ATMs and online with only a PIN number and ID number. And these institutions know MORE about me in some cases than the bureau!

I've never seen a credit report WITHOUT the SSN. That's because it's required on any credit application, and you can't refuse it. Well, you can, but then you don't get credit.

Yes, a PIN is the way to go. It'll take a court order to get the bureaus to do it.

A * PIN * - the SIMPLE solution to prevent identity theft and unauthorized inquiries