OK, so who has a put a credit freeze after the Equifax debacle?
- Thread starter psuro
- Start date
I'll preface by stating that I know I could google it, but since you posted it, how exactly do you do that, is there a cost and is it easily reversed?
Wife and I want to put my daughter (11 YO) on a credit freeze. Without saying too much, we have a good reason.
See if you info was stolen first.
Go here www.equifaxsecurity2017.com.
Click on "potential impact". Put in your last name and last 6 of your social security number.
Nah. I'll wait for a class action lawsuit, or call @fairgambit to file one on my own. 
It was easily done. The cost varies by state. The unfreezing appears easy enough although may take more time than the actual freeze (haven't done it so can't be sure).
Here is the FTC site with FAQ:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs
So if the site is on the up and up--not fake--we have Equifax doing damage control to let people know if their data was stolen by having you ............plugin more data?? Have they anywhere come out and stated they stopped the leak? (I havent seen it) Seems silly to give them any data that could be stolen again at anytime.
Funny - NYT had an article that a reporter went to the Equifax link, put in "Trump" and random numbers... and was instructed to sign up for the credit freeze information... looks like Equifax is sending everyone there to avoid an even larger lawsuit if they would mistakingly missed someone...
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Proceed with caution in agreeing to anything with Equifax. You do not want to agree to an Arbitration Clause.
Here are two recent NYT articles:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/...n=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=collection
(this was the one which he entered "Trump" and random numbers
The most recent article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/...n=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/...n=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=collection
(this was the one which he entered "Trump" and random numbers
The most recent article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/...n=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection
Just go to the credit bureau company sites and you can find the details Equifax, Trans Union, Experian
The lawyers will make out to $75 mill, and you will get a coupon for 1/2 off on one credit check.Nah. I'll wait for a class action lawsuit, or call @fairgambit to file one on my own.
Good article in Today's WSJ on this. If compromised confirmed, no charge to freeze. If you do on your own, without a compromise confirmed, only $10 G.I. No charge to unfreeze, unless you plan to refreeze it again after a credit check. All your current CCs are good and any loans are still ok with a freeze. Need to unfreeze to access new credit. Charge of $10 to unfreeze if you plan to refreeze. If it's a permanent unfreeze, no charge.
Really? Maybe this is just paranoia talking but I'd be really leery about doing this.
I tried and couldn't get through on the website or via phone. Too much traffic, I suppose.
It's okay JIm, come out from behind your abacus. I just did it yesterday and I was a probable. They will get back to me later.
My friend did hers and she got a non-compromised notice immediately.Alternative is just to continue to self monitor, which you should do anyway. Or you can hire a service, but then you might be notified only after the new and fraudulent credit is used.
My identity was compromised about 2 years ago. Someone started applying for credit cards, etc with my name and SS number. I put a credit freeze on at the three big credit companies: Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian.
The $10 fee that can be charged is by state. PA is one of the states that allows them to charge the fee (most states do not allow the fee). However, none of the Credit Bureau's charged me a fee.
Both Equifax and Trans Union have an easy on-line access to put on a freeze and remove a freeze. Experian, at least when I did this, had an on-line method that didn't work. No one would answer their help phone lines so essentially you couldn't place a freeze. (this may be fixed by now). Anyway, I started tweeting out that "Experian SUCKS", etc...it took about 10 minutes before I was given a direct phone line to call for help.
The $10 fee that can be charged is by state. PA is one of the states that allows them to charge the fee (most states do not allow the fee). However, none of the Credit Bureau's charged me a fee.
Both Equifax and Trans Union have an easy on-line access to put on a freeze and remove a freeze. Experian, at least when I did this, had an on-line method that didn't work. No one would answer their help phone lines so essentially you couldn't place a freeze. (this may be fixed by now). Anyway, I started tweeting out that "Experian SUCKS", etc...it took about 10 minutes before I was given a direct phone line to call for help.
Yogi, did you freeze them only through Equifax or did you freeze them through other reporting services as well?
The recommendation is all 3, because you don't know which credit service the fraudulent app may use.
I, too, had my SSN stolen. It was part of the hack of the Office of Personnel Management. As a booby prize the government gave me: 1) free credit monitoring in perpetuity with My ID Care and 2) TSA express boarding for one year. Whoopie! One year later the IRS tells me someone tried getting a refund using my SSN. Do you know how they flagged it. I NEVER GET A REFUND! I always pay the IRS at year-end. Now I must use a special code to file my taxes. Anyway, my cherry has been popped. My SSN is somewhere in Belarus.
Regarding this latest fiasco with Equifax, I don't trust Equifax anymore. So I used Experian to put out a Fraud Alert. It's free and good for one year, and it's passed onto the other two agencies. I then froze my credit report as well as my wife's. It's good for Experian only, costs $20 a month to include credit monitoring and a bunch of stuff that I can otherwise do myself but hey, it's for piece of mind. After all, the real danger isn't with credit cards because they're insured. The danger is with ATM/Debit cards. What to do. Setup alerts with your bank. Monitor your account balances. I check ours almost daily. My bank also has a Mobile Ap which lets you lockdown your account. All told, I'm feeling pretty secure. I know it's working because our FICO scores hover around 820. No hits yet.
As with home security you cannot prevent a break-in. If someone wants in they'll get in. What you can do is make your home (and credit) a harder target than your neighbor in the hopes the perpetrator moves on. That's a cold, hard truth. Been there, done that. I also sleep with a Sig .40 cal S&W under my mattress. The alarm is merely an early warning system.
Lastly, one more thing on home security. If you travel a lot (I don't) then get an indoor security camera which transmits to your cell phone. Reason being, should you witness a break-in in real time then you can call 911 and report a burglary-in-progress as opposed to an alarm going off. Burglary-in-progress is a higher priority call for cops.
Good luck to y'all.
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