Tweet
Protecting your Identity due to the Equifax Fiasco!
Hey there fellow Xsives,
I'm sure you all have heard about the security breach of Equifax's data info, and that ~1/2 of American's identity/credit card info was STOLEN!
Thankfully I haven't been a victim of a major identity theft event, just had my credit card used a few times without my consent, but I don't want to become a NEW VICTIM.
BTW, I checked and both myself, my wife, and my 90 y/o mom's info was compromised according to Equifax's ineptness! I want to spell their name with a "UX" but have to remember this is a FAMILY SITE!
One of the first things folks can do to start securing their info is to contact just ONE of the companies, Experian, TransUnion, Or Equifax...would suggest one of the first 2, and place a FREE Fraud Alert on your info. It will be automatically and freely propagated to the other 2 reporting agencies, and will be in affect for 90 days. It says that the reporting agencies will/should contact YOU directly to VERIFY your identity when someone attempts to create a new credit account or such in your name. It's not full proof, but it's FREE and fairly quickly initiated, and you only have to do it once to reach ALL 3 institutions.
Next, is the process for FREEZING your reports, this prevents the credit reporting agency from providing a possible applicant any credit information and that will STOP anyone from being able to fraudulently open any credit account/card in your name. Freezing your account/report has other consequences like prohibiting YOU from applying for credit cards, housing or car financing, etc., but they can be temporarily unfrozen for these instances if desired.
Now, the good part. Allegedly placing a FREEZE on your report usually costs ~$10.00 per account/person and per agency(x3), it will not automatically propagate across all agencies. IF you are among the ~145million Americans that had their info compromised by Equifax, they are providing a 1 year FREE membership in an Identity Protection Program, and part of that is the ability to FREEZE your reports with THEM, also FREE. That's 1.
I just finished with TransUnion, and they offer a FREE membership to their basic TrueIdentity program/plan that also allows you to FREEZE and UNFREEZE your reports with them for FREE! That's 2.
Thirdly, I also finished with Experian, and they DID charge me to Freeze my reports with them, but I was able to apply and do it all ONLINE, so no faxing of documents of identity, no long waits on the phone line, etc.. That's 3.
So...I just wanted to pass some of this info along to you all knowing that possibly at least half of you were involved and possibly victims/compromised by Equifax's data breach.
**********************************************
Helpful links/phone #'s.
Equifax — 1-800-349-9960
Experian — 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion — 1-888-909-8872
Equifax's site to check if you were Affected/Compromised: You'll provide your full name and the last 6 #'s of your SSN. IF you were impacted, they will provide you with the links to apply for the "TrustedID" account, it took several days after I sent in my application before I received my INVITE email to proceed with the registration process, be patient, but that's why I talked about the Fraud Alert you can place on your account(s) NOW.
https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/am-i-impacted/
Info page on Security Freeze and link to Experian web page application.
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-e...eeze/virginia/
Free sign up for TransUnion Security Freeze prg:
https://www.transunion.com/product/t...ity-protection
Good Luck, or WISH US ALL LUCK!
I'm sure you all have heard about the security breach of Equifax's data info, and that ~1/2 of American's identity/credit card info was STOLEN!
Thankfully I haven't been a victim of a major identity theft event, just had my credit card used a few times without my consent, but I don't want to become a NEW VICTIM.
BTW, I checked and both myself, my wife, and my 90 y/o mom's info was compromised according to Equifax's ineptness! I want to spell their name with a "UX" but have to remember this is a FAMILY SITE!
One of the first things folks can do to start securing their info is to contact just ONE of the companies, Experian, TransUnion, Or Equifax...would suggest one of the first 2, and place a FREE Fraud Alert on your info. It will be automatically and freely propagated to the other 2 reporting agencies, and will be in affect for 90 days. It says that the reporting agencies will/should contact YOU directly to VERIFY your identity when someone attempts to create a new credit account or such in your name. It's not full proof, but it's FREE and fairly quickly initiated, and you only have to do it once to reach ALL 3 institutions.
Next, is the process for FREEZING your reports, this prevents the credit reporting agency from providing a possible applicant any credit information and that will STOP anyone from being able to fraudulently open any credit account/card in your name. Freezing your account/report has other consequences like prohibiting YOU from applying for credit cards, housing or car financing, etc., but they can be temporarily unfrozen for these instances if desired.
Now, the good part. Allegedly placing a FREEZE on your report usually costs ~$10.00 per account/person and per agency(x3), it will not automatically propagate across all agencies. IF you are among the ~145million Americans that had their info compromised by Equifax, they are providing a 1 year FREE membership in an Identity Protection Program, and part of that is the ability to FREEZE your reports with THEM, also FREE. That's 1.
I just finished with TransUnion, and they offer a FREE membership to their basic TrueIdentity program/plan that also allows you to FREEZE and UNFREEZE your reports with them for FREE! That's 2.
Thirdly, I also finished with Experian, and they DID charge me to Freeze my reports with them, but I was able to apply and do it all ONLINE, so no faxing of documents of identity, no long waits on the phone line, etc.. That's 3.
So...I just wanted to pass some of this info along to you all knowing that possibly at least half of you were involved and possibly victims/compromised by Equifax's data breach.
**********************************************
Helpful links/phone #'s.
Equifax — 1-800-349-9960
Experian — 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion — 1-888-909-8872
Equifax's site to check if you were Affected/Compromised: You'll provide your full name and the last 6 #'s of your SSN. IF you were impacted, they will provide you with the links to apply for the "TrustedID" account, it took several days after I sent in my application before I received my INVITE email to proceed with the registration process, be patient, but that's why I talked about the Fraud Alert you can place on your account(s) NOW.
https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/am-i-impacted/
Info page on Security Freeze and link to Experian web page application.
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-e...eeze/virginia/
Free sign up for TransUnion Security Freeze prg:
https://www.transunion.com/product/t...ity-protection
Good Luck, or WISH US ALL LUCK!