Thank YOU!!!

What if you do not have a utility bill? I do not own the house I live in, and thus have no utility expenses...

Thank you Bob for letting the public know about the availability of this "freeze." I have been dealing with identity theft for about a year and it is a horrendous thing for someone to have to deal with on a daily basis. Yes, I have a 7-year Fraud Alert with all three credit bureaus. NO ONE ever said that a freeze was an option for me. Shame on them. Again, my personal thanks for advising the public that this option is available.

Bob, this is a great idea, but I have used Lifelock for the past year, and they keep the freeze on my accounts, PLUS they also guarantee me against theft for $1M dollars. Perhaps you should do a follow up article on the pros/cons of each. Thanks.

Why is there a fee? It should be free. These companies exist only because they buy and sell my personal information. If anything, I should get a check every month from them!

Thanks for providing all this. You should know, however, that the Experian site is not helpful. I went to the NJ state page and tried to click on their link describing how to thaw a freeze - no dice. Page not available. Guess they aren't really so keen on allowing this, huh?

What about "soft queries" like an insurance company's request for a credit score?

What about "soft queries" such as insurance company's make for a credit score to price their policy's

Wow! Excellent information, Bob! Finally, someone is actually doing something to combat ID theft.

Another angle; consumers should not be able to use this tactic to avoid the scrutiny of creditors of delinquent accounts. It sounds like a consumer with 20 delinquent trade lines could use this strategy to avoid creditors...

Good Information. Thank you.

Maybe you should try Life Lock. It pretty much does the same thing but its about 110 bucks a year. The ggod news there is they insure you against ID theft to the tune of 1 million dollars

While this sounds like a fantastic opportunity to protect ourselves, I am struck by the utter waste of time this legislation is for most people. A freeze can only be done if one has previously been a victim as stated in the article with "To get a free freeze, you will need a police report or similar government document to prove you are a victim." What about protecting ourselves to avoid identity theft in the first place? The scam artists that make their living off stealing identities will eventually figure out how to navigate frozen vs. unfrozen credit reports & make victims out of all of us who haven't experienced this trauma before. Can't we come up with something that's actually productive for everyone? Protecting oneself against identity theft should not be an exclusive right.

Let's not forget Identity Protection insurance as a tool in this fight.

This makes absolutely NO SENSE! Why should consumers have to pay extra fees, fill out forms, etc. just to get the credit bureas to keep private information private?

I read elsewhere that by next Nov 1, all three public credit bureaus will have to make online management of freezing and thawing available - thus ending the endless snail mail paperwork.

Will the freeze really stop the issuance of a new credit card since the article says freezing "won't stop pre-approved credit card offers...the bureaus can still give your info to credit card companies". Ie, do they only send pre-approved offers to those with good credit (in which case why would they need to check the details of your file in order to give out the card) or do they also send them to those with bad credit (in which case the freeze would help, but why would the grant pre-approval to someone with bad credit?) Good article, thought.

It is also wise to get a 3-bureau report once, and find out which credit agencies are used by your own bank, and stores in which you mostly use credit. I froze out one bureau only because it is not likely to be needed in my current life. It is only an unused window for thieves. Plus, the freeze of one is not reported on your other two reports.

Sounds like a great tool. Cheaper than Identity Protection Insurance or Credit Monitoring, and should accomplish the same thing! But no one has succesfully shamed the Big 3 Credit Bureaus (allowing that they have any) into opening access to AnnualCreditReport.com from outside the US. Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and civilians who are serving overseas (who have largely already had their data lost by the VA) cannot use the web site. Click the link from anywhere else in the world and you see "The AnnualCreditReport.com website is only accessible through ISPs (Internet Service Providers) located within the United States and its territories." They could easily allow access from *.mil or *.gov domains, and largely solve this problem for anyone using an embassy or military computer. But it doesn't seem it's in their financial interest to do so...

Identity theft is not the only problem with credit bureaus. A lot of their info get transfered from one person to another. When you call to report an error to them, they refuse too make any changes stating "a qualified creditor" reported the info and they feel its accurate. So my son's SS# sits on my credit report as a second SS#. ID thefts don't have to mess with your life, the credit bureaus do a good enough job of that themselves.

For a brief summary of and link to the sometimes-less-than-$10-charge state credit freeze laws in every state that has one, see this page sponsored by Consumers Union / Consumers Reports:

http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html

could you please explain Life Lock that respondents are referring to. Thank you

I just checked the Lifelock website - they provide credit alerts (which are free), not credit freezes. According to this article, they are not nearly as secure. In fact, everything Lifelock provides except the $1M insurance is free, you can do it all yourself (renewable 90-day credit alerts, free credit reports, opt-out signup...).

Best one-stop spot for this information I've seen to date. Great job Bob! One other asterisk may be needed. Credit freezes will not prevent account takeover where an ID thief has your existing account numbers such as a credit or debit card. The freeze only prevents new accounts from being opened--but that is a major step in the right direction. Thanks again Bob!

The idea of a PIN associated with credit reports is GREAT . . . but why is that available only to prior victims? Like a credit card has the CVV number, every individual should be able to protect their credit history with a PIN. Minimum inconvenience and one more block for the scammers.

I've found a credit monitoring service to be useful as well. I can set alerts on my credit so that I get an email if someone tries to open an account, an existing account has a large increase from one month to the next, etc. This service is generally free to former victims (for a year) and then costs about $75 for the year. While it wouldn't prevent someone from stealing my identity, I would be quickly alerted of the attempt, while not having to jump through the hoops and expenses of freezing and unfreezing.

Many thanks for describing the minimum ways to protect ourselves. Please keep us informed of follow-on tactics.

Even without a freeze, credit reports can provide incorrect information and they will NOT correct it even when requested. One of the credit reports had me employed and living in a city in Indiana that I had ONLY interviewed in. I wrote them and pointed out their incorrect information and they still wouldn't correct it.

I have been a victim of identity fraud twice now.

First time: A B/M stole my wallet and did 6K of damage to various vendors such as Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, and the like. Calls to their Corporate and Legal Department were futile. Since this was a multi-county offense, I have no police report, only letters from the cards. On top of that: if your checks are stolen you've got to completely close the account even if you know the numbers stolen. My guy knew they went back into circulation (if you can believe that) and then went on to do more damage. Final irony, I am a white, 46 woman with a very "girlie" name and yet this young black male was able to get past every clerk with a name like that.

Second time, recent: this time they actually had cards made which they were swiping. All were in my physical possession. And yet, again vendors (this time Bloomingdales and Macy's) did not ask for id even after they kept trying to get it to go through. They maxed out the card and I only found out when I went to pay for car repair. No money left on the card meant I had to tap into my cash because of those freaks.

You'd think after all this sculldugery they'd be able to hold a job...

AND YOU'RE RIGHT: WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE OF SOMEONE'S COMPLACENCY? I ALREADY HAD TO CHANGE MY PHONE NUMBER TO UNLISTED AND PAY $5.00 DOLLARS A MONTH TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!

Just sign me "mad as hell over this"

FET
Atlanta, Georgia

Don't get me wrong, credit bureaus screw up a lot. For all of you complaining why it costs anything for a freeze, if it wasn't for them, when you do need credit you either couldn't get it, or it would be a much more difficult process to get it. They have to collect, sort and store the data, and be able to provide it to creditors in a quality and timely fashion. It works well most of the time, and with our country's economy heavily driven by easy access credit, we need to have a more balanced approach to this discussion. Lot of improvements they can make, but you can't get everything for free, and most Americans receive a lot of benefits because of the 99%+ of the time things go smoothly with the credit process. Personal action and accountability is the best way to protect yourself. Don't depend on others.

Since the government had to get involved, why didn't they kill two birds with one stone? If they had made it illegal for credit companies to distribute personal information (effectively a permanent freeze) they could have drastically reduced identity theft AND made it more more difficult to obtain credit. With all the debt problems we face in this country, credit should be as hard to obtain as possible.

The Credit Bureau Lobbyists did their job for sure. The freeze option is still a major inconvenience and costly option over time. What we need is very simple - ban the credit bureaus from giving out any information UNLESS each instance is approved by the Consumer via perhaps a special code. This would be an ultra-simple software change for the Credit Bureaus - then again they won't do it unless forced. They make their money by selling OUR information to others. Disgraceful and one of the biggest ripoffs to the Consumers.

It's a brilliant move of the credit companies to pretend they don't want this new stream of revenue. Why the hell should I PAY for someone else to be careful with my personal data? It's outrageous. It is an example of the abysmal consumer protection in this country that you have to pay credit companies to do the work they are not doing, and they should not be able to do in the first place!

I put freezes on our accounts at all 3 reporting agencies-not that big a deal and they will accept a copy of a phone bill, credit card statement etc as proof along with a copy of driver's license. They will send you pin-just make sure you keep it in a safe place!! Did lift freeze on one agency for 24 hours and they automatically restore freeze at the end of the 24 hours. So it cost $10 to lift freeze-better than getting my idenity stolen

I have second thoughts about the value of freezes. Sure, they will stop any credit thefts or identity thefts reported in the credit reports, but what about companies that insist on using your SS number to accomplish whatever it is you request from them or they don't do it (For example, my health insurance HMO used social security numbers as the individual ID number! Everyone in any doctor's office or hospital or blood lab you go to can see it!)?

What about the store checkout clerk who copies your credit card number to sell later, or the store manager who has access to ALL the credit card numbers used that day when he clears the accounts at the end of his shift?

Or simply losing your wallet. My son lost his, and got it back in the mail a week later, with everything still in it. When he went to file his income taxes that year, the IRS wouldn't send him his refund, as a woman in California was claiming it as payment for his unpaid child support! Took him almost a year to get that straightened out!

There are too many other ways that credit information and SS numbers can be stolen, and the credit freezes don't address these. So, no thanks, I won't pay for a partial freeze, when there are still too many ways for the unethical to find what they are looking for.

Dear people, Identity theft is not just about finances.That is only 27% of the problem. Identity theft is about your drivers lisence info, social security info, your medical info...etc.. There is nothing you can do. your information is out there. Ever been to the doctor? ever attended school? Millitary? My point..Stay away from lifelock. what happens in vegas.../lifelock (google) There is only one company out there that actually has lisenced professionals that will clean up your identity for you if you become a victim and credit monitoring every 30 minutes (NOT 30 days) with instant notification if there has been a change in address or ANY activity (citibank doesn't do that).
google it .....KROLL background america

Just do what I did.. put a freeze on everything and pay in cash or check.. How hard is that? I no longer use credit cards or debit cards.. Need to buy something online? Send a bloody money order.. You want strong ID theft protection.. Shred the hell out of your mail and do what I do above.. Credit is what is killing America...People living on credit and dept :/

I agree with Tim from Baltimore. This is BS. You said it yourself:

"You will have to give the bureaus a password -- a PIN code similar to a debit card password – to let you unlock your report so a creditor can peek at it. You might have to think a bit more before you obtain new credit, but that's not such a bad thing."

If it's that easy for ID fraud victims, why can't it be that easy for the rest of us? At $60 a pop, this is just another way for someone else to get rich.

I am one of those that is pretty set in my finances... have all the credit I need and won't be making changes any time soon. I'll be baking that bread this weekend... thanks Bob.

To answer the question regarding a copy of a utility bill, I didn’t include one because I receive all my mail at a post office box. I provided the other information, my P.O. box address, and noted on my request that I do not receive any mail at my residence (to make sure they didn’t try to send my PIN to my residence, which would have been undeliverable). Also, instead of sending a copy of my driver license, I sent a copy of my state ID card with the ID number blacked out; I don’t want them updating anything on me. No problems at all, I got a freeze and PIN from the three credit reporting companies.

I would not do this unless you think your personal details have been stolen somehow. It has been such a difficult process to unfreeze my credit now that I have to apply for a car loan, and you cannot speak to an actual person at the three bureaus. It is unbelievable that we allow these agencies to have so much power over our financial lives and yet we do not hold them up to ANY kind of customer service standards.

It's ridiculous.

Thank you very much for this article. I have been the victim of identity theft for over a year and for one stupid $1000 account I have spent countless hours on the phone, on websites, writing e-mails, letters, gathering documents of evidence, etc. and have not gotten anywhere with the credit bureaus. This will be a good step to help me re-gain piece of mind while someone is sitting pretty out there with my social security number waiting for my fraud alert to expire.

I wish enough consumers would realize the Credit Bureaus are private, for-profit corporations and high dividends for their stockholders are their bottom line. They are NOT consumer-friendly. Ideally, their power should be reduced and their safeguards for consumers increased (the latter very do-able if they wanted to) by legislative action, but with this Congress that's asking for the impossible. Perhaps we should make this a high-priority issue with all the candidates. candidates.

I WISH there was a way to freeze a credit report so lenders could not look at it when making decisions! It's ridiculous to start keeping track of credit when people are so young-- then all the mistakes they made at age 18 follow them for 10 years, and LONGER if the debts are resold over and over and each new buyer starts counting from zero all over again! I can't get these creditors off my back-- even after paying some of them! I wish somebody would do what they did in "Fight Club" and put an end to Expirian, Equifax and all those companies once and for all!

Lifebook doesn't place a freeze on your account only a fraud alert. Accourding to Consumer Reports Loud Siren is better and used by many states to protect consumers. http://www.idtheftreviews.com/?gclid=CIWBiJjJyI8CFQacggodL09x9Q

My favorite quote from consumer reports about LifeBook it is the following. "Good - Company has built recognizable brand but has suffered some negative publicity concerning its founder’s criminal past"

Not the most brilliant place to trust.

A credit freeze is only a another way for credit reporting agancies to avoid responsiblity for protecting the data they collect. The agancies can now claim, "not my fault, you consumer didn't freeze your report." Or worse yet, the data is wrong because did freeze your report." In addition to credit reporting agancies, there is Checkpoint that holds employment and insurance claim data - nothing in the article mentioned them, and this information can be even more dangerous that credit information to a crook. And Lexis Nexis keeps a record of every job you have ever had, every real estate transaction you have been a party to, etc.

This only gives consumers a false sense of security by making the credit reporting agencies a red herring, and not addressing the global issue of allowing third-parties to collect our entire life histories with no accountability for its accuracy and distribution.

Why do these companies have a strangle hold over our credit reports but NO WAY of calling them direct when something is amiss? My son with the same first name and different middle initial moved out two months ago and now his and my credit is all entangled with no one to talk with about unscrewing it. Too bad that "freeze" is a bit late. Beware the change of address when you move, be absolutely certain to pay attention to details.

jeeez people..............give you an inch and you want a mile.

all you knuckleheads complaining about $10-$60 to prevent a majority of your ID theft woes should bring forward your solutions to stop it all for free.........see how far that gets you.

we obviously have a system that isn't perfect, no system is, so rather than find something new to gripe about, be a little thankful that now you have another tool in your aresenal of prevention.

if that isn't good enough, then please, cut up your cards, pay cash for everything and never go outside. it would be better for all of us..........

This is another scam by the credit bureaus. Now any anonymous person (perhaps a credit bureau employee) can create an inquiry to several reports and show suspicious activity and the big three oligopoly agencies will have a sales bonanza in "credit freezes". I disagree with the author. I cannot see what the good side is to it and if they were serious congress would require this to be free and punish them for continuing to hinder access to the annual free credit reports.

Thank You Bob! Great Info. I started looking into the paperwork, time, effort, and cost involved in dealing with the credit bureaus. I also took a good look at the different credit protection products/companies out there today. After doing a lot of research to protect 40 years of an excellent credit history, I decided to go with Lifelock. I am not one to go out and advertise a product or service but, it's worth the money for what they do and the guarantee. Maybe you could look into the products/services available today.

My question to the author and the other commenters is, if you had it to do all over again, would you even want a social security number?

I wouldn't. I think I could do much better living outside of the system with credit practices, rampant theft and government monitoring of your every move through that number.

This a good article but the freeze does not go far enough. I don't mind paying for something that is going to protect me but protect me all the way not half way. Make the credit bureaus more comsumer friendly. There was a mistake on my credit report and I did everything they asked and it took over a year to get it right on 2 reports and on the 1 the wrong information is still there. I understand they are a private corp and are money making companies but they need to be held accountable. I think all states should get together and have 1 law for all.

The utility bill thing is not going to work well. I have almost everything set up as direct debits, so I don't receive paper bills.

This is another scam by the credit bureaus. Now any anonymous person (perhaps a credit bureau employee) can create an inquiry to several reports and show suspicious activity and the big three oligopoly agencies will have a sales bonanza in "credit freezes". I disagree with the author. I cannot see what the good side is to it and if they were serious congress would require this to be free and punish them for continuing to hinder access to the annual free credit reports.

So, now that someone has figured out how to stop it, we're going to tell the whole world how it's done. That's the media for you, and half of the problem with what's going on in the world today...... more wrong than right and more bad than good, nice work!

I feel if we really wanted to narrow down identity theft we would not make entire social security numbers available to everyone who works at the utility company, banks etc...It does not appear as if we want to stop identity theft. From what I have observe insurance companies are for criminals. Honest people can't get insurance and if they do it insures criminals and invites crime.

Just did a report on identity theft. Wish This info was available then. Thanks for the info though. We all need to protect ourselves. Too bad it costs so much money.

Some of you may want to re-read the article again. It states quite clearly that the freeze is also available to persons who have not been victims of identity theft, not just to those who have (see the section titled "Advice For Everyone Else"). Therefore, it IS a potentially useful preventative tool to use.

Thanks for the information. I'm wondering how can the average citizen band together to force legislation to make this process free to everyone. Seems to me the credit bureaus are profiting at someone else's potential misfortune.

It seems there are still some looses end to the freeze process. For instance, when I need a loan, I have to "thaw" the report for the bureau to get my infos. Well, what happen if someone steal my infos between the thaw time frame and when I freeze it again.

A few years back one of my children applied for a phone card, popular at the time, which necessitated a credit check. One of the "big three" credit bureaus did it. We were told that there were problems that had to be fixed. We did so, following their instructions. After it was "fixed", it became apparent that the cause of the problem was their misinterpretation of court records, which they gained access to in spite of being sealed by both Federal and State law. I know it was just one company, but I'm not sure I'd believe anything any of them says.

In a free country, I would not have to have ANY information in one of these so called credit bureaus. Individual responsibility is dead in this country. If I need credit from someone, I should have to prove to the lender my worthiness. If this was a free country, these credit bureaus would not be able to obtain my private information. I won’t even go into the biggest ID theft enabler, the Socialist Security Number that is forced on Americans by threat of death.

My wife and I, recently retired, have used this credit freeze for years (as authorized by California - the first state to do so). It is wonderful, and provides peace of mind as well. Also, we purchased real estate in December and "unfreezing" our credit, temporarily for one lender, was easily accomplished. We highly recommend the freeze.

If your health insurance company is requesting your SS# for membership number-just say no. They are required by HIPPA to assign numbers that are not SS#'s. I know that BC/BS will assign random numbers if you don't want to give them your SS#.

I strongly believe that this should block nagative information as well until the individual has had a chance to know what it is and if it is correct. There is so much incorrect negative information on peoples credits reports, it is unbelievable!!! It can go on so easy and it takes an act of God to get it off.

Hey E.Lynn T. How about less yacking and more reading. You only need a police report if you have been a victim (as stated in the article)and want the service for free. The ability to freeze is available to all.

Bob is my hero!

Thanks for the information!

Several years ago, my wallet was stolen from under the front seat of my locked car in Riverside, CA. Despite a perfect hand print on the window that was forced, the police refused to take any statement or complaint. Even my bank was frustrated by the police. Seems the thief had tried many times to use my ATM card at a bank next to the police station, but the bank could not get the police to act.

I have been dealing with identity theft issues ever since. The woman, who looks nothing like me from what I'm told, has used my identity many times for phone service, rental housing, utilities, etc. She has many evictions and past due bills in my name, and I haven't been able to stop her.

Two years ago, she tried to get phone service through Verizon. They called me, and advised I file an ID theft report. I tried, but to no avail. I lived in one city, did live-in nursing in another, and the crime happened in a third. All three police departments said I had to file with one of the other cities.

It will be worth the extra expense to finally stop her. I can finally do what the police have been completely unwilling to do, stop an ongoing crime of several years. Maybe now I can work on fixing the mess the criminal made of my life.

This information is not new. Credit freezes have been around for a while, and reported on before. The idea simply has not caught on with consumers - for most people, they are expensive & inconvenient; and they are certainly not a foolproof way to prevent ID theft.

The downside of the freeze is you will have no credit! You won't be approved for anything until the freeze is lifted. Just a word of caution.

What about freezing our children's credit as well? Is there any thing special we need to send along besides a copy of their birth certificate? Will I need to temporarily put my 3 year old and six month old on a utility bill? I ask because by the time my first born was 5 months old, he had already received 3 credit card applications in the mail.

Credit Freezes are one step in the right direction of people like you and me taking back control over our private information, instead of it being controlled by a profit entity, the credit bureau. Don't worry about the cost or paperwork, it only took less than 1 hour of time since you can simply copy the letter template provided on Consumer web sites - freeze it now, and continue to push for more control and eliminated costs over time.

I have no use for credit, I pay cash for everything and save thousands. The nation's three credit bureaus, still want proof of ID ( to freeze their files on me ). But my SS card says "NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION". Before the nation's three credit bureaus, I had no ID theft. I own my company, so the only one's who need my SSN, are the IRS & the Bank.
I FART in the general direction of the nation's three credit bureaus.

I find it interesting that there is all this talk about credit, credit scores, freezing, a way “to stop identity theft” and the like. As a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, I can tell you that I believe this article is ok, but misses the boat on so many other levels. Hardly anyone is addressing the other four areas of ID Theft. What are ID insurances, banks, or the three credit bureaus going to do when your Medical, Social Security, DMV, or Character IDs have been stolen and misused? Absolutely nothing! They can’t as it falls outside their ability to help much less do anything.

Consumers are repeatedly being bombarded with Identity Theft information and material that targets wallets, bank accounts, and credit. This type of ID Theft accounts for roughly 28% of ALL ID Theft! What are the credit bureaus, financial/credit card institutions and ID insurance companies going to do, when, because of ID Theft, you have lost your health insurance, the IRS is looking for you to pay $45,000 in back taxes because of the 15 jobs you worked in 10 different states last year, you are wanted for a DUI in a state you have never been to, or you are put in jail because someone committed a crime in your name?

The real issue is what are you going to do when it does happen to you, yes these freezes will help in Credit fraud, but what about the other areas of your identity? the question that i have is, do you pay the fees once a year, or is it for life? Also somthing to think about, many companies are now looking at credit reports before hiring people, they do that to establish a patteren, do they pay there bills on time, how many accouts are open, how many times have they moved in the past 5 years, ect, ect, so freezing your credit report, may freeze you out of a job.. and what about meidical identity theft that's really becomming a big issue,and what about the legal side of identity theft. proving that you didn't open the accounts that they are calling about. More and more idnetity theves are getting yourinfo from work, so don't think that because you freeze your credit it won't happen to you.don't put your life on hold.

Do you have any thoughts or opinions on lifelock.com as a good or bad solution to identity theft ?

A few threads have mentioned LifeLock, of which I am a member. As a member, if my ID is by chance stolen, LifeLock's lawyers will work on my behalf to right the wrong with $1 million in financial support. This "freeze" does sound interesting but I'd like to know the pros/cons of the freeze/thaw versus paying $100 annually to be a LifeLock member. Bob, could you write that follow-up article? Please.

Yet another way to drain money from the American people. And the one company charges $10.00 PLUS 70 cents sales tax? Is this a business now? YES it is. It is a racket no different than organized crime. These credit reporting companies GAVE the ID Thieves the ability and access to steal your identity, and now of course, without legislation, they can make you pay to try to keep your private information what it is SUPPOSED to be...Private !! Let's start with the credit card issuers since they are the biggest weakness that I can see, and let THEM start requiring more information and authentication before giving away purchasing power in someone else's name. The problem is lack of accountability. Until ALL companies like credit card companies are held accountable with REAL penalties, this will be a free-for-al, literally free, for the thieves. The only question now is, who is the bigger thief, the Credit Reporting Agencies who are trying to rake millions in with this last little scam, or the ID thieves themselves. Once the credit card companies succumb to the will of the people, then let the mortgage companies and banks follow suit. Another part of the problem with Credit Card theft is HOW they get your information. We can stop most of it buy adopting Europes manner of paying at restaurants etc, in that your card NEVER EVER leaves your sight.

Any state who does NOT mandate 100% free freeze and thaw should NOT have their state representatives re-elected.

I see all the complaining but everyone should remember one thing. You are the first line of defense against identity theft. Don't carry around your checkbook. Tell a clerk to ID you! They are just as responsible for this mess as everyone else. Do a credit report yearly. But remember one thing. Where there is a will there is a way and a crook will always find a way and technology has enabled them greatly.

If you read the fine print on the exceptions, Equifax still allows soft pulls for insurance, and credit card offers, Feds see it all, and employers get to pull data, so the freeze is not much of a freeze, including but limited to other parties that might have a relationship with you.

I wholeheartedly agree with the posters here who avoid credit. Credit is one of the most invasive practices in our society, and credit reporting is a major source of those privacy invasions. Where do you think Choicepoint and Lexis-Nexis get your employment/job history and other personal information that isn’t part of the public record? They buy it from the credit bureaus. Anytime you apply for credit, you have to list your employer, income and other information, which the bureaus freely sell to anyone in a multi-billion-dollar-per-year business. Why do you think they fought the freeze laws so hard? Credit reporting is also used as a weapon against people; some debt collectors are now trying to collect debts discharged in bankruptcy, which are not legally owed. Their coercion? They put a hit on the person’s credit report, and yes, people are paying up because they are afraid of polluting their credit report. Credit reporting is large-scale passive surveillance, it is coercive, and it corrupts people’s financial behavior (paying questionable or illegitimate debts or individuals’ dancing some tortured financial fandango trying to maintain a credit score) because it puts people in bondage to a database. I do not have any credit and I never apply for it, and I still live quite well. I am also free; credit reporting/scoring can never be used against me or used to monitor me. Freeze your credit reports, forget about them, and regain some of your personal sovereignty.

Check out www.idCURE.com and they will do this service for you for FREE! I was a LifeLcok customer and switched to a much better service, same $1million guarantee for less money. I protected my entire family as well and credit freezes do nothing when crimials steal your health ID or commit crimes!

The article is very good and thanks for the info.
There are a lot of comments about lifelock and their 1M guarantee, I would suggest you look again at that because the fine print states that they will spend up to a maximum of 1M to correct the problem if the theft is a result of their system failure.
If you want true protection in all areas of Identity Theft take a look at my web site: www.prepaid.com/hub/rfrench14.
The Identity Theft protection is provided by Kroll backround america the same people that are running ENRON and searched out Sadam Hussains holdings.

The predatory lenders in Macoupin county IL hire known drug users, and one has a manager who has stolen identities. They have been told. She was fired from three jobs for misuse of company time and property, yet they made her a manager. They hand off SS numbers from office to office and so far no one will stop them. That's how most ID thefts occur. A company will know the employees are crooked drug users. This chick claims she knows too much of their illegal activities so they won't bust her. I guess she is right.

I think the answer is easy to minimize credit card fraud, NO credit\debit card can be used without a PIN number and the last 4 digits of your SSN AND the CVV number on the card. purchases above a certain amount would require further checking before the purchase is allowed.

Excellent advice, although... I hope freezing is different than, for example, Equifax's Credit Report Control, which costs $6.00 - $14.00 per month when combined with another product, and still allows all government agencies, perspective employers, collection agencies, insurance companies, and companies making pre-approved credit offers, among others, access to your credit information even while it's locked. That list is remarkably similar to the list of folks I want to keep out of my credit files.

I think the answer is easy to minimize credit card fraud, NO credit\debit card can be used without a PIN number and the last 4 digits of your SSN AND the CVV number on the card. purchases above a certain amount would require further checking before the purchase is allowed.

Dana, you can log on to the website and print out a copy of your bill.

The credit bureaus should be regulated like utilities and subject to the same stringent rules that hospitals are. How about a financial version of HIPAA?

Start writing to your senators/reps people!
We took on Big Tobacco, it's time to take on the Big Credit tri-opoly.

For those of you interested in LifeLock, you may want to look at this piece by Kim Zetter at Wired.
see:
LifeLock Founder a Shady Identity Thief?
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/06/lifelock_founde.html

Wake up, folks! Forget this credit freeze nonsense. Identity theft can be completely stopped if it was impossible to falsify one's identity. A National ID card can make this happen! Contact your legislators and insist on this!

EQUIFAX is not consumer responsive. I froze my record with them. The PIN number they gave me for temporarily unfreezing it was useless. Not inaccurate; could not be used. I spent a week trying to phone them but only reached endless voicemail loops. Never reached a real person. EQUIFAX should be legislated out of existance!

Credit reporting agencies are part of the problem. They sell your name and credit score to companies who send out pre-approved credit cards. If your account is frozen your name is not good to them. Hence, they charge to freeze your credit so they can still make money on you on way or the other.

Why don't they freeze the information when they begin collecting (age 18)? Then you just use your pin when you need a report.

This article is a good start, but doesn't really tell the whole story. A few posters have mentioned that financial ID Theft is NOT the whole story with ID Theft. There are many companies out there willing to sell you a product that only protects PART of your identity and then tell you you are safe. The biggest challenge most people face is the amount of time and hassel it takes to clean up this mess when it happens to you. At least inform yourself with this 10 minute video... even if you don't feel you are at risk:
http://adam.greatjoboption.com

How will a freeze affect the insurance companies and employers who check your financial records? This might be a benefit to stop that kind of illegitimate prying.

You , and several others. talk about "pre=approved" credit card offers: My mother has been dead since 1989 and I still get those for her. How can a dead person be "pre-apprved? Comes to my address since i obtained a mail forwarding ehen she died. I tried to contact the address they give to take her name off their list but they want too much info (including her ss number which I don't have) so I guess I will see how it works. i am tempted to get the card, run up a big bill, and let them try to collect from a dead person?

This sounds great, but I have my doubts on it being full-proof against identity theft. Bad guys are crafty. I imagine that, even with a freeze, information won't be completely inaccessible as law enforcement often needs credit reports in criminal investigations. There will always be windows for thieves.

How is this $10 fee not extortion?

Roscoe, a national ID card won't make it was impossible to falsify one's identity.

A security freeze should be a federal law. Allow anyone with a ID theft problem to get it for free. All others for a minimal charge and free to unlock for purchase-loans (house, auto, boat) and minimal fee for other (credit card type)use.

It's free in Indiana. All I had to do is download a free form from our Secretary of State.

Were you aware that you can go on any of the 3 credit card websites and say that you have had a potential identity theft and all three companies will freeze your account for 90 days? This can be done with no police reports and is free. We use this and plan new credit requests at the end of the 90 day period and then put the freeze back on. It takes a little planning but is less hassle than the permanent freeze.

Also be aware that you can get a free credit report once a year from all three credit bureaus. (I believe that true for every state now - it used to be just a few states) If you request the report from each bureau at a different time then you can be reviewing your credit every four months - free of charge. If you are married then it can be every two months because you can request for each individual.

National ID? Thanks anyway...just another step closer to being required to show my papers at every turn. We're too close now for my taste.

If you want a real scare get your report from ChoicePoint. You are allowed one report a year for free. They aggregate your credit information, driving information, insurance information, people that have lived in your house, and information about where you have lived.

Will the freeze also apply to ChoicePoint and their gathering of personal information?

Have any of you heard of Prepaidlegal? For $12.95 a month they will protect yours and your immediate families identities and if there is identity theft they will restore it to its original state. Help reduce your out of pocket expenses and time spent away from work with valuable services from detection to resolution.
Fraud alert notifications will be sent on your behalf and applicable follow up will be done with affected agencies and institutions, including: credit card companies, financial institutions, all three credit repositories, Social Security Administration, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Motor Vehicles, law enforcement personnel, and the U.S. Postal Service.
Proactive searches of applicable local and national databases will be made on your behalf to look for information you may not be aware of, including: criminal activity in your name in your county's records and certain federal watch lists, Department of Motor Vehicle records in your state, unknown addresses affiliated with your name, and banking activity in your name reported as fraudulent
If you would like more information, email me at
brigittehaberl@prepaidlegal.com

yea impossible to have your Id stolen.. until the thief has the documentation to unfreeze your accounts for you. This is just more red tape not a solution. These people can setup whol lives with cascading credit accounts, mortgages on houses you dont even know about. Think they arent going to go to 1 xtra step? ..please.

So, if a husband and wife want to do this, it will cost DOUBLE, right?

Sad; very sad.

Why do consumers have to pay to keep something as private as their credit history private? Perhaps if the credit agencies were liable for id thefts resulting in losses, they would protect us better as a service to US instead of as a service to their patrons.

I'm glad to hear about how to prevent ID theft and will certainly look into it. What I would like to know is how to get your exhusbands bad credit off your report after 7 years. I've written to experian and told them to take off his address and his name. They only took off his address and now I'm getting all his junk mail.

What percentage of identity theft victims had their information compromised by one of the three credit bureaus? This may be a step in the right direction but hardly seems like a blanket of invulnerability.

I think it’s complete BS that they charge fees to freeze/thaw YOUR info. Just who died and appointed the ‘’big three’’ companies kings over your credit information ANYWAY?!? And even if you freeze your account, they can still sell your name to companies so they can send you unsolicited ‘’pre-approved’’ card offers? Isn’t that just great? It’s MY info you’re selling, so send ME the money!!

And, as mentioned above – I also use Lifelock. The flood of junk mail has slowed down a LOT. It takes a few months, but the stuff eventually quits showing up in the mailbox. So, is it better to dump Lifelock and just put a freeze on your accounts? Or leave things as it is?

Other than sheer greed, I dont understand the rationale behind charging people for their personal information. It's amazing these companies do not have any incentive to maintain your privacy except for the ability to charge fees. Information protection should be a primary service, not a purposely difficult fee-based process deliberately designed to discourage/confuse individuals who are actually custodians ("own") the information. Oftenimes companies collect your personal information as a matter of convenience for their billing processes, but make no effort to protect this information...The internet is a great thing, but as more and more work processes become self-service, more and more personal time is spent doing paperwork and managing information on systems that are not accountable to the individual

Since the theft of my personal info from the VA last year conveniently coincided with my state passing a freeze law, I froze my accounts. Since the freeze, none of the credit reporting agencies will allow me to get my free annual credit report online. Not a problem for me, but a possible side effect of freezing your credit files. I'm for everyone freezing their credit files. And if we could get the citizens of this country to cooperate by sending in all their monthly payments: house, credit card, car, etc., past their due dates for one month, we could make the credit reporting agencies' info worthless. Think about it.

The problem with the current system is that the social security number IS used as a form of national ID, one that provides the holder of that number unlimited access to your account. The credit system need only look at the computer field in which people have different levels of access (administrators - full access, users - limited access). When someone has your SSN then basically they have full administrative rights on your credit account with the ability to change your address, open new accounts, etc.
Since the majority of companies only need to verify your credit score to prove you pay your bills, why doesn't the credit bureaus create a "read-only" number. They could replace the first 3 digits of your SSN with your birth initials, the middle two digits with your year of birth, and keep the last four numbers the same. It would be easy for everyone to remember and could be limited so as to not allow someone to make any changes to your credit or open new accounts. It would also be easy for companies to implement since it has the same number of characters as the SSN and would only require a minor programming change to require letters in place of numbers for the first three characters. The SSN number should only be used when others actually involves real money (bank loans, reporting earnings to the IRS, retirement, etc) rather than services (cell phones, utilities, etc).
As far as unsolicited credit card offers, although I opted out I still get them on occasion. What I do is write "Please remove me from your mailing list IMMEDIATELY" in red ink on a 3x5 index card and attach it to the offer letter and then mail it back to them in the postage page envelope. I rarely receive any future offers from that company in the future.

In the midst of all this there must be other fellow victims of ID theft and those concerned, things to do are make sure everything you throw out is shredded and be very suspicious of anyone digging through your garbage. I mistook an identity thief for a poor innocent hungry homeless black man looking for food in my garbage and now I am paying the price.

When someone uses somthing that belongs to you (your personal financial information) to make a profit by selling it, you should be paid a royalty, you should be able to control who they sell it to, and you should have free access to it as often as you like, This pertains to any organization doing it, the credit bureaus, choice point, and any other company or goverment agency. I wrote to my congressman about this and recieved the standard form letter thanking me for writing so it's not likely that he will take any interest in it if in fact he actually read it.
What a shame we can spend billions of dollars trying to make the enitre world democratic but we can't control a few money grubing companies.

Does the freezes or life lock work when a family member commits ID theft against you? My mom has all my info & was able to open accounts in my name & then get cards in her name off my account. It took me having to file a police report against her to get a relif from the creditors.

Write to your state reps. Encourage legislation that would require credit inquiries to have the same protection as requests for medical records. Everyone should have to sign a request for information before an inquiry could be made. In health care this is known as HIPPA.

Well, it's about time!!!

credit is a business. identity has become a business. suggest that virtual reality become a business.....Storage of digits requires maintenance, specially if no money/profit is to be made! Soon honesty will be profitable!

HOW DO YOU CONTACT THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP THE FREEZE?

Just to make this new "freeze" thing fair, the crooks get a freebie at all those they haven't ripped off yet. THANKS ! Thats the reward I get for being extra dilligent. While the US congress has been handing out free passes to your bank cards for years they now have a way to wiggle out of oversight of the banks that will now fleece you. Just so you all know they are already lining up for your hard earned cash, Chase bank is offering you 75 bucks to open a checking account! WOW, hard to believe you'll pay way more than that if you take them up on it. Thanks to the banking and thrift crooks they've cooked up plenty of things not yet in fine print that will set you back before you can say fees. You no longer need to even have a line of credit to get robbed.

As far as unsolicited credit card offers, although I opted out I still get them on occasion. What I do is write "Please remove me from your mailing list IMMEDIATELY" in red ink on a 3x5 index card and attach it to the offer letter and then mail it back to them in the postage page envelope. I rarely receive any future offers from that company in the future.

Another method to do is send your request back with ANOTHER companies pre-paid envelope. This way...the company in question is paying for the honor of telling their competitor that you want no more junk mail.

lifelock.com does the freezing thawing for you (no i dont work for them) ive just been using them and its working great

I've noticed a number of gas stations in Michigan require you to enter zip code before authorizing credit card gas purchases. How about photo ID and zip code requirement to go along with credit card purchases.
How about businesses checking the signature on the credit card against photo ID signature. If you've ever noticed, they don't even check the credit card for signature! MINE SAYS PHOTO ID REQUIRED though many don't ever bother to look. Internet purchases will be a gamble until a secure method is devised, which may be never.
Maybe a RFID chip and reader to bring up your photo could do the trick!
THE CREDITCARD ISSURERS, BANKS, OR BUSINESSES ACCEPTING THE CARD CONSIDER IT YOU'RE PROBLEM, NOT THEIRS!!!

I opted out from all marketing offers and put a fraud ID theft victim). I froze my credit report back in early 2006. I live in California and I think the option to freeze reports was there for all Californians then.

Guess what I still received credit card offers from Capital one even after the freeze at the rate of 1 per week for months. When I complained to credit bureaus, they give me some convoluted answer (which I don't remember now), essentially saying they can do nothing. It seems somehow Capital One can still get my information inspite of all the measures. Meanwhile Capital One kept sending me credit card offers 1 per week, as if they were taking revenge on me for freezing the report. Finally I called their marketing department and asked to stop sending me one. They stopped after sometime.

I believe that somehow these credit bureaus are directly and indirectly aiding ID theft. They make money out of victims requesting their reports 4 times a year. If majority freeze the report, then their revenue stream is hurt.

I have put a fraud alert and when somebody applies for a credit in my name, the merchants should call my phone number. When I applied for a card in a store, the merchant didn't even call my number before approving. So it could be a thief applying for a card and they would have just approved it. Banks, merchants are all directly aiding thieves.

Unfreezing is a pain. Recently I applied for student loan and totally forgot about unfreezing, I got my application rejected. But still it is far better than suffering the consequences of ID theft. Even after 9 years, I am still suffering the consequences.

One merchant inspite of sending me a letter 7 years back saying they agree that I don't owe them anything, put my name in collection. The collection agency plays hide and seek. When I report to credit bureau, the collection agency will not respond to credit bureau's request. So the credit bureau will remove the offending part from my report. After 3 months the collection agency reports that I owe them money. Again I go to credit bureau and this whole thing repeats again and again.

Somebody suggested that I should file a suit against collection agency in CA court. That means I ahve to spend more money and time. I have had enough of this for now. I will fight it when I really need a loan. Right now I am able to take care of myself with what I have.

Credit bureaus served a certain purpose till the last decade. Now it is not longer serving any purpose. It is creating more problems than ever.

Thieves themselves get employed in credit bureaus. I believe the management itself may be part of some big mafia. I bet there are thieves on their payroll.

Most banks willingly sell your ID and support thieves. It is part of their strategy to make money. So stop buying their stocks. Why pay a CEO or management for effectively robbing your money ?

Merchants don't care about your privacy. They have other important business ("making money")to take care of. So they don't mind selling your info if it brings some money. They don't care to double check the credentials before giving credit. That takes money and time and they would rather spend that time and money to make more money. Stop doing business with merchants who blatantly violate privacy rights.

DO NOT VOTE for the law makers who take bribes from banks, credit bureaus and merchants. They should be put behind bars before cleansing other parts of the system.

This is BS and you are all being Taken again.

I have a huge problem with being FORCED to provide my SS# in order to do anything from attend college to see a doctor or dentist. If we weren't FORCED to hand over that number every time we need to do business, then it wouldn't be plastered all over so many documents, receipts, etc. They have you over a barrel because you NEED an education, you NEED to see doctors & dentists, etc.

At my Dr's office, every patient's SS# pops up on the computer screen when they are seen at that office. Then, each receipt printed out has the patient's SS# on it. Everybody in that office has access to all of this information about SO many people. And that's just ONE place of business that FORCES you to hand it over.

I think ANYBODY who FORCES people to hand over SS#'s in order to do business with you should be FORCED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY when that information is stolen. That would place the responsibility into the hands of the people who INSIST on FORCING YOU TO HAND IT OVER in order to allow you to do business there. They should be FORCED to straighten out your credit and FORCED to fork over any money you lost. Period. If they don’t want to take that responsibility, then they shouldn’t be allowed to ask for that number.

I thought SS#'s were supposed to be used ONLY for employment/retirement?? SHAME on the people who FORCE us to hand over our SS#'s!

I can identify the posts from those that probably work in the credit industry.

They haven't learned a thing, can't be bothered to take responsibility and still are unwilling to do what is necessary to protect us. The credit reporting industry is due for an overhaul, similar to that of telemarketers.

For example: No distribution of our personal information without signed permission. Forget "opt-out". Information distribution should require us to "opt in" with a legitimate signature (at least). There should be penalties for unauthorized distribution of information. Unauthorized distribution of information of an identity theft victim should require fair compensation to the victim from the credit reporting agencies.

Credit bureaus and their lobbyists have some clout on the federal level but on the state level, we, the people, still have the ability to decide with ballot propositions initiatives.

I wonder how much support the credit reporting agencies have with the general public in my state? Credit bureaus need to start thinking. Manipulating our federal "representatives" might be easy but on the state level, you might have to convince the people that what you are doing is a "benefit" to them.

In reading "Deb from Chino" my first thought was, "not if she beats you to it!" It's only a matter of time till an ID Thief freezes someone elses records, making it nearly impossible for the real owner to fix the problem. Wouldn't that be rich? Imagine trying to get the hard-headed credit bureaus to admit they let the crook freeze your data?

I froze my credit reports. Yes, the paperwork was a big hassle but overall the process was smooth for TransUnion and Experian. However, I had huge issues with Equifax. They actually outsource their services for residents in MN and other states to a company called CSC Credit Services. The freeze instructions fail to tell you this so the paperwork automatically gets sent to the wrong mailing address. It took over 30 days to finally get CSC Credit Services (Equifax) to freeze my credit. And I had to track down the office of their President (John Dickenson) and make a phone call to his office to get this done. Then we moved and bought a new house. We had the same issue with CSC Credit Services (Equifax). Again, it took a phone call to John Dickenson's office to get our credit "thawed".

I like the idea of a credit freeze, but the issues we had with Equifax were not worth the hassle. This process needs to be seriously improved in my opinion.

The whole credit-scoring and reporting system is corrupt. It's time we pressure our state and federal legislative bodies to get it revamped so that we know how our FICO scores are computed, and that we can /easily and securely/ obtain our own credit histories and fix errors.

I thought my identity had been stolen so I put a fraud alert on my accounts. I actually believed this would stop any theft. The government need to step in again and get this clarified to consumers. I really needed a freeze. You may have just saved me from some real theft. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

This is by far the most interesting information that has come across the web in many years. I would however stand with those who have made the statement, why should I pay for something that should be free to the general public. I know that everyone is trying to make and need to make money to exist, but nickel and dime the public is absolutely nuts. The credit bureau in this country is a joke, it is only there to keep track on middle American, the poor in this country and the wealth have noting to worry about, they either get it for free or write it off. Credit is a good thing, but like other things it can and is abused. The credit bureas should be regulated themselves, they make loads of money but on the backs of middle Americans, there should be some control over them, their books should be looked at by the government. They are not doing a service this is to benefit the general public, but a service to benefit business, can anyone tell me why should a landlord be using your credit report to rent you an apartment, so it better to live on the streets shelter that a person to work and struggle to maintain their rent. We in this country have allowed big businesses to govern what we do, think, act, and live. You have to live by their rules or you don't live at all. The idea is great, but the institution of the idea needs some additional work, but its a start and one that I just might look into.

Bob, thank you for your detailed description of the ins and outs of using freezes. Like so many things, it's more complicated than it first looks, but not overwhelming when explained well. For those who dislike paying credit companies to do what they should do, there is a better way. It may also relieve the burden of freezes for those who need to use their credit often: true ID theft monitoring and restoration services. The money is paid to a third-party company that has been finding 'who took the money' for over 30 years. They monitor your credit 24-7, then send email if something changes. If it's not you, the company uses LICENSED INVESTIGATORS to determine which is your activity and which is fraudulent. The company then RESTORES your identity records (health, SS, driver's license, criminal, and financial) back to where they should be. The service is 12.95 a month. But it can be obtained for as little as 9.95 a month when combined with a legal plan to cover life's little legal challenges (many of which come about with ID theft)! The total price of legal coverage and ID theft protection together is 26.95 to 36.95 a month, depending on whether a person is single or married.
The service is called Identity Theft shield and is available from registered agents of Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.

I have aplan that is called Prepaid legal It not only has Identity theft protection, it has the instant restoration that is so important if you are a victim.

I have protection called Prepaid legal. It's not only protection it provides instant restoration.

If we had a national ID card, couldn't this be stolen by identity thieves as well...

Also what about those of us who are married and getting credit offers in our married name and our maiden name and even both names squished together? It seems like the credit bureaus can see that we only have one social security number, so why offers in three names for one person? Can this be fixed? If I want a free credit report do I need to get one in the name I no longer use (since getting married) and the name I never used in addition to my actual name?

How can people not have a credit card at all? If you ever want to travel you need one. You certainly cannot rent a car without one. Or maybe you could with a $25000 cash deposit???

Also how are we to know which companies are legit as far as protecting us from ID theft? It seems like a thief could pose as a helpful company and gather all the info you don't want them to have: name, birthdate, ss#, address(es), ...

One thing that I do with my cards is that I have written, instead of a signature, "check ID before using". That means that if a store runs a card without checking the ID that THEY are liable--you might want to consider this as well. It also means the credit card companies can sue the stores for money lost. Its a little thing but it hits the stores hard and they are one of the big problems and a definite store window of opportunity for would be thieves.

I have a question that no one seems to be able to answer but I want to know why it dings your credit when someone checks your credit. I mean, really, what does that have to do with paying your debts on time. Can someone, anyone, tell me the answer?

This is good but it just isn't good enough. Every single facet of life these days seems to be centering around a person's credit scores. Everything from employment (even those with NO fiduciary responsibilities) to cell phones and necessities (i.e. utilities) is moving toward reliance on credit records to evaluate candidates and customers.

A person's very life is impact in huge, often obscure ways by the way these credit agencies maintain and report on the records they have. It's costly and time consuming enough to clean up one's own mess--and plenty of people have found erroneous reports on a credit file.

I don't see how one free credit report per bureau per year is sufficient, and I don't see why this freeze should be as costly as it is ($60 per "cycle" isn't a huge expense in the context of everything else, perhaps, but the "everything else" is irrelevant--and to a large extent doesn't impact anybody nearly as much as credit does).

If you do not have a utility bill in your name, how are you supposed to get this done? Apparently, a copy of a driver's license is not adequate for these companies. Also, how am I supposed to freeze my children's files so that they do not end up with a nasty surprise when they want credit several years down the road - they are two young to have most of the required documentation, but are also at risk of ID theft that would not be caught for years.

I have been a victim of ID theft for over 10 years. A woman simply changed her SS# by one digit and got a metal card at the flea market with that number on it. It turned out to be mine. My credit reports all reported her personal information on my credit reports and mine on hers - letting her know my name and address so she could committ more fraud. My credit report even says "Alternate SS#"! WHAT - I didn't even know one could have an Alternate SS#! I have spent hours and hours on the phone and in police stations all over the state trying to prove that the loans she took out are fradulent. The credit companies have been no help at all. I have sent certified letters with the information they required to have my name, DOB, address, place of employment changed back to my own. Everytime I get it all straight, it goes back to hers. The loans have been sold over and over to companies who do not even know that they should have been attributed to her and not me. They have no paperwork from the orignal companies for the letters my attorney and I sent to clear my name from the original loan. In fact they have no idea who the person is who orginated the loan, only that the SS# is mine. In my case, the credit reporting companies propagated the fraud!!!
I pay for the monthly credit monitoring, it is very limited for help. Freezing to me means that all the bad info will be frozen to my account and I will always be a victim of this horrendous crime.

There should be NO CHARGE to freeze or thaw. If credit agencies can't provide this service for free they should be 150% liable if you are in any way financially harmed by an identity theft.

What LifeLock does is it just monitors your credit for you. Your credit file is still open for scrutiny from creditors. Your chances of being a victim of identity theft is still high since your credit file is open. And if you become a victim of identity theft, even though you're insured, you still have to fight to get your identity back. You don't have this problem with security freezes.

If you don't plan on getting credit for some time, I would rather recommend a security freeze. It works great for me. Plus, I only had to pay a one time total of $30 for all three bureaus.

What LifeLock does is it just monitors your credit for you. Your credit file is still open for scrutiny from creditors. Your chances of being a victim of identity theft is still high since your credit file is open. And if you become a victim of identity theft, even though you're insured, you still have to fight to get your identity back. You don't have this problem with security freezes.

If you don't plan on getting credit for some time, I would rather recommend a security freeze. It works great for me. Plus, I only had to pay a one time total of $30 for all three bureaus.

I saw the Lifelock stories being rehashed from an incident in 2005, when I researched the company recently. The person in question is no longer with the company, when he was with the company no one's identity was compromised, so why is this still news? Sure I could do this all myself, but for me, it made sense to hire someone/somefirm to do the work for me. Yes, it costs $110 a year. But the last time a credit card of mine was used fraudulently they charged $6000 in two days. I guess you have to balance the time to write all the letters and keep the alerts active vs. the cost of the service.

One method I use to protect myself and my husband is to tear up credit card information and stuff it, along with as much junk mail as will fit, into the prepaid envelope. If it's not in the garbage, it makes it harder for a thief to obtain it. It also forces the company that sent it to pay quite a bit for postage. It doesn't always stop the company from sending future offers, but I've noticed a decrease in our junk mail.

A better solution would be a class-action against the bureaus for negligence. New laws shouldn't be required just to make these companies responsible for their (in)actions.

Thank you for posting this. Since I live in North Carolina, it is law here that they have to let us freeze our credit reports. Since reading this article, I have frozen all three of my credit reports. I also used the opt out pre screen website to stop pre-approved credit offers. Thank you for this information! It was worth the $60 to freeze my credit so that I don't have to spend hundreds of $ down the road cleaning up my credit if my identity were to be stolen.

These agencies have created electronic debtors prisons, where people with debt or low income are taxed by corporations and banks, charged huge fees for getting behind in their bills. The mob may be dead, but corporations and banks have become loan sharks, supported by credit reporting agencies. The government is complicit - these guys created the sub-prime mess and should be held accountable - at the executive level.

I was just on the optout.com web