Using a CPN to apply for credit is considered identity theft, even if you didn’t know the number was stolen. If caught, you could face hefty fines, criminal charges, or even prison time.

The CPN was merely a modern rebrand of "File Segregation," a credit repair scheme that gained popularity in the 1990’s by people that had declared bankruptcy.

A credit privacy number, or CPN, is a nine-digit identifying number similar to a Social Security number. Companies market CPNs to consumers as a shortcut to a fresh credit history. Their methods ...