Experian Identity Verification

As part of our continuing anti-fraud and cyber security effort, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will be implementing identity proofing services provided by Experian Information Solutions, Inc. (“Experian”). This identity proofing, known as Experian identity verification, will be used to verify the identity of online filers in connection with certain online filings made through eCorp, the Corporations Division’s online services website. 

For those online filings requiring Experian identity verification, an online filer will be seamlessly directed to an Experian webpage where they will enter identifying information, such as name, date of birth, address, and last 4 digits of his or her social security number. The filer will then be presented with 5 questions from Experian designed to confirm the identity of that filer. If the filer answers these questions correctly, they will be automatically redirected to the payment gateway to complete their online filing. If the filer does not answer the questions correctly, they will be presented with 5 additional questions. If a filer fails Experian identity verification by incorrectly answering the second set of 5 questions, the filer will not be allowed to proceed with the transaction. If a filer fails Experian identity verification on a second consecutive attempt, then the filer will not be allowed to proceed with the transaction and their eCorp account will be locked.

The Georgia Secretary of State will not have access to a filer’s personal credit profile or credit score, and will not store any data provided for Experian identity verification. However, Experian may access information from a filer’s personal credit profile, which will be used solely to confirm the filer’s identity in order to assist in avoiding fraudulent transactions made in the filer’s name. This identity verification transaction will not result in an inquiry on the filer’s personal credit profile, and will only be visible to that filer. Creditors and other entities will not have access to see that an identity verification transaction has occurred.

In the event an Experian identify verification session did not conclude successfully, it is possible this was the result of inaccurate information contained in a filer’s credit file. If a filer thinks this is potentially an issue, they can take the following steps to examine their credit information. 

• Obtain and review your credit report in advance of initiating any dispute action. You are entitled, under law, to a free copy of your Experian credit report once each year.  You can obtain this annual free credit report at https://www.experian.com/consumer-products/free-credit-report.html .
• Details of the various dispute methods are found at this link - https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/faqs/how-to-dispute-credit-report-information/
• You can dispute information in your credit report by the following methods:
  • Online disputes can be initiated at this link - https://www.experian.com/disputes/main.html
  • By phone, you can initiate a dispute by calling 855-414-6048
  • By mail, you can initiate a dispute by writing to Experian, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013

The Secretary of State’s office plans to implement the Experian identity verification services in December 2019.For any questions, you may contact the Secretary of State’s office at 844-753-7825