Ohhh the Games Being Played

The largest lenders with the largest budgets buy info from the Credit Reporting Bureaus known as Experian, Equifax, TransUnion.

If I get a home loan and my credit is checked by the lender, suddenly, my phone is blowing up with calls from other lenders & my mailbox is blowing up with telegrams from the same and additional lenders. Everyone wants my busine$$.

Banks buy these hot leads for Big Bucks.

And, they facilitate the sale of your own credit report for ... $20 or so, at retail.

And, they will sign you up for a credit protection (coughmafiacough) plan for $35/year.

And, any time you open a new credit card at a cash register for 10% off or whatever, there's a credit check / inquiry and nearly anyone at that store can find access to your credit report.

Credit files aren't exactly secure. They're definitely constantly for sale.