![]() ![]() Also see the Identity Theft Resource Center’s How to Place a Credit Freeze guide. You need only place a fraud alert with one credit bureau, which will notify the others.įor more information about protecting yourself against identity theft, see The Equifax Data Breach: What You Should Do. A fraud alert signals to businesses that you may have been a victim of identity theft and that they should verify your identity before opening any new accounts. If you find anything suspicious, report it immediately and take steps to lock down your credit through a fraud alert or credit freeze. The new law also lengthens the duration of a fraud alert that you can place on your credit file from 90 days to one year. It’s free whether you lift or thaw a freeze. And after that time period has elapsed, the credit will freeze again-no additional action is necessary on the part of the consumer.” Lifting a credit freeze, on the other hand, removes the freeze until the consumer actively requests the freeze from the credit bureau again. For example, if a consumer knows they will be applying for credit, they can request a thaw for a day, or a week or another specified time period. “A thaw (or unfreezing) of one’s credit allows them to temporarily remove the freeze for a specified period of time. “Understanding the correct terminology is important,” says Eva Velasquez, CEO and president of the Identity Theft Resource Center. ![]() The freeze remains in effect until you take steps to remove it-either temporarily or permanently. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |