The more details that become available about the Equifax data breach, the more consumers are rightly concerned about their personal information being compromised. Equifax, an Atlanta-based company, said recently that as many as 143 million people may have had their personal data exposed when “criminals” hacked a website application vulnerability.
Protect yourself from identity fraud by doing these 2 things
That being said, there are two things you need to do right now to protect your credit: First, sign up for free credit monitoring at CreditKarma.com and secondly, freeze your credit. Money expert Clark Howard advises that this two-step process, in that order, be followed in the aftermath of the Equifax data breach.
How to sign up for Credit Karma
In addition to free credit monitoring, Credit Karma offers a number of financial services aimed at protecting your data and making you a more informed user of credit. Another plus for users is that Credit Karma allows consumers to check their credit free of charge as many times as they would like. Other companies generally require a fee and/or block you from more than one inquiry a year.
RELATED: Here’s how to sign up for Credit Karma
Clark says that once you’ve signed up for Credit Karma, your financial profile will have the website’s durable safeguards in place to alert you in case anyone tries to fraudulently open an account in your name. Next, you’ll want to freeze your credit. Clark says freezing your credit is the No. 1 way consumers can protect themselves against identity fraud. This will require contacting all three main credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
How to freeze your credit with all three agencies
TransUnion
- Online: Visit the Credit Freeze page here
- By phone: 1-888-909-8872
- By mail: Request your credit freeze by certified mail using this sample letter. Please note the attachments you must include.
- Use the following address:
- TransUnion LLC
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
- TransUnion LLC
- Use the following address:
Equifax
- Online: Visit this page to freeze your credit with Equifax. Important note: With such high traffic to the website, if you can’t get your request processed, just wait about a week and try again.
- By phone: 1-800-685-1111 (NY residents please call 1-800-349-9960)
- By mail: Request your credit freeze by certified mail using this sample letter. Please note the attachments you must include.
- Use the following address:
- Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
- Equifax Security Freeze
- Use the following address:
Experian
- Online: Visit the Credit Freeze page here
- By phone: 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742). When calling, press 2 and then follow prompts for security freeze.
- By mail: Request your credit freeze by certified mail using this sample letter. Please note the attachments you must include.
- Use the following address:
- Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
- Experian Security Freeze
- Use the following address:
For more details, please see our Credit Freeze Guide, which can help navigate you through the process and includes detailed instructions on not to just how to freeze your credit, but — just as importantly — how to thaw it when you need to.
In most states, once you’ve frozen your credit, it will remain that way until you request to thaw it, but there are exceptions. Four states — Kentucky, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and South Dakota — automatically remove credit freezes after seven years. In those states, you’re going to have to remember to re-request credit freezes seven years from the date of placement.
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