.... Joined Lifelock and that has been helpful as well. What a fricking pain!
So what's your opinion of lifelock vs. just freezing things yourself at the big 3? What advantages have you seen and is it really worth all the money they charge?
.... Joined Lifelock and that has been helpful as well. What a fricking pain!
I just had someone charge $2500 at an Austin Hotel/spa yesterday. Saw the charge today. Called Chase and they claimed that the individual actually presented a CC at the location.
Sounds like the scumbag had the ability to manufacture a card with your info on it.I just had someone charge $2500 at an Austin Hotel/spa yesterday. Saw the charge today. Called Chase and they claimed that the individual actually presented a CC at the location.
The easiest and fastest way to place a security freeze on your Equifax credit file is via our online process found at the following link.
https://www.freeze.equifax.com
https://www.freeze.equifax.com
If you choose, you may also request a security freeze by calling our automated line at 1-800-685-1111 (NY residents please call 1-800-349-9960) or submitted your request in writing to:
Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348
Please be sure to include the following:
- Your complete name including any suffix (e.g. JR., Sr., etc)
- Complete address
- Social Security Number
- Date of Birth
- Payment (if applicable, please check What are the security freeze fees in my state? ). We accept checks, money orders, or a major credit card for the appropriate fees. For VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express payment, please include your name as it appears on the card, the card number and the expiration date.
For your protection, please also send some proof of identification. See "Acceptable Forms of Identification for Verification".
In order to add a security freeze to your credit file at Experian or TransUnion you will need to contact them directly.
Experian: www.experian.com
TransUnion: www.transunion.com
Yep, I was really surprised to hear it.
Many people have had very sensitive personal information exposed in the Equifax breach—Social Security numbers, account numbers, even drivers’ license numbers. Equifax is offering free credit freezes until November 21, 2017. The company also will refund fees to anyone who already paid for freezes since September 7, when it announced the breach. If you’re thinking of placing a freeze, read this first.
A freeze means that no one (including you) can access your credit file until you unfreeze it, using a PIN or passphrase. That makes it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.
To be effective, you must place a freeze with all three credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Transunion and Experian. That’s because when a thief tries to take out new credit, a business can pull your credit report from any of the three agencies. If you’ve only frozen your Equifax file and the business checks with Experian or Transunion, your Equifax freeze does you no good.
There’s also cost to consider. A freeze can cost you money every time you freeze and unfreeze your file. While Equifax will let you place or lift a freeze for free until November 21, TransUnion and Experian are not offering free freezes. And, as of now, Equifax’s offer will end on November 21. That means that any time you need to get new credit, you’ll need to lift the freeze, then place it again, with each of the three agencies — at a cost of $5 to $10 per agency each time, depending on your state’s law.
But wait, you say, I heard that freezes are free for identity theft victims. So, will I get free freezes from the other two agencies too? No. An identity theft victim is someone whose information not only has been exposed, but also has been misused. If you’re a data breach victim, your information is at greater risk of misuse but unless that happens, you’re not an identity theft victim and not entitled to free freezes on that basis.
To learn more about credit freezes, read Credit Freeze FAQs and Extended Fraud Alerts and Credit Freezes. If you want a free credit freeze from Equifax you can call them at 800-349-9960 or visit them online at freeze.equifax.com.
If you’re looking for an alternative to a credit freeze, consider a fraud alert. Although a fraud alert won’t lock your credit like a freeze does, it will tell anyone who runs your credit that they should check with you before opening a new account. Fraud alerts are free but they end after 90 days, unless you remember to renew them. You may also want to sign up for Equifax’s free credit monitoring, which lets you know about changes to your credit file. But remember that the free credit monitoring doesn’t stop someone from opening accounts in your name. Also, it lasts only one year and the threat of identity theft relating to the breach is likely to last a lot longer than that.
Source: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/09/free-credit-freezes-equifax
So what's your opinion of lifelock vs. just freezing things yourself at the big 3? What advantages have you seen and is it really worth all the money they charge?
Had you signed up for their online service, you could have avoided the Transunion fee. And had the ability to freeze/unfreeze your account online with no wait.
Oh lucky me - I just checked equifax and I am exposed. Signed up for their protection and am awaiting their email. Going to freeze my credit reports at all 3 CR companies. Any other advice to this none techie guy appreciated.
May have received a fake email from equifax. Earlier this morning I signed up for their TrustedID Premier. The next step was to receive an email to verify it and complete the enrollment.
Just recd an email and when I clicked on the link it was asking me all of the same questions again as if I had never filed it out the first time.
Then I looked closely at the address of the email I received - it was
no-reply@trustedid.com via amazonses.com
amazonses.com - WTF???
Is this the same email address you guys are getting??