How to clear a suspended Individual Tax Identification Number (CPF)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Being prevented from making installment purchases, not being able to get bank loans, or having a credit card denied are some of the consequences for those whose Individual Tax Identification Number (CPF) is in default. To find out if your name is in this condition, you must consult the registry of companies specialized in this service, which registers the default of consumers. The data is passed on by companies that have contracted the consultancy, forming a database.

“When a company will grant credit, it consults the CPF and checks the consumer’s history over the last five years. The more debts he has in his history, the worse payer he is classified as and the less credit he will get in the market,” explains Aline Maciel, manager of Serasa, one of the companies that provide this specialized service.

While the companies that hire the service can check any CPF, consumers can only check their own situation on the available platforms. To find out if you are in default, you must register with your full name and date of birth, which will generate a login and password. Free of charge, in addition to Serasa, you can check your credit status at the Central Credit Protection Service (SCPC), which Boa Vista manages. At SPC Brasil, the service is paid.

By accessing the platform, consumers can find out whether they are considered good or bad payers and can negotiate their debt with the intermediation of the credit consulting company. The period for being suspended depends on the state – in São Paulo, it is 20 days, but in others, the period is shorter – ten days. The debts can be consulted, settled, or paid in installments. Serasa, for example, has a registry with almost 65 million default CPFs, which adds up to more than 200 million debts.

Aline Maciel explains that the statute of limitations for the CPF suspension, which occurs after five years, relates to the name in the registry. “That debt no longer restricts the consumer’s credit, but he still owes,” she says. For example, in Serasa’s registry, the consumer, even after leaving the credit restriction, can consult the debts and negotiate them.

The manager warns about fraud risks, with the sending of fake slips to negotiate debts. “The fraudsters call people by WhatsApp, give them a super low rate, and people who already owe money end up paying these fraudulent bills. The consumer should look at the bill to be sure that it is real,” she says. She also advises that the platforms or companies where the debt was incurred are sought to confirm the negotiation offer.

With information from Agência Brasil