However, freezes are a right mandated by law, while locks are conditional on terms of use agreements that are set by the credit bureaus and could change at any time. Have I Been Pwned is a free tool you can use to check whether your online accounts may have been compromised in data breaches. Verify that the information is correct and that accounts have not been opened without your knowledge. Section 530.5 (a) PC: Every person who willfully obtains personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b), of another person without the authorization of that person, and uses that information for any unlawful purpose, including to obtain, or attempt to obtain, credit, goods, services, or medical information in the name of the other person without the consent of that person is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefore, shall be punished either by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars, or both that imprisonment and fine, or by imprisonment in the state prison, a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars, or both that imprisonment and fine. One of those uses is known as new account identity theft, where someone opens a new account in your name and then proceeds to rack up a ton of debt.
When it comes to the metro areas with the highest cases of identity theft, Providence, Rhode Island took the top spot with 1,981 per 100,000 residents. Credit monitoring alerts you to changes to your credit reports, which can help you spot unauthorized credit accounts opened in your name. Credit monitoring can only help detect new account identity theft after it has already occurred, not prevent it. Sign up to receive email and/or text notifications of account activity and changes to account information. Even if you don’t receive social security benefits yet, checking your MySSA account can help you spot changes to your personal information that might indicate thieves trying to claim your benefits over the phone. Fraud alerts don’t block access to your credit reports, but they do notify creditors that they should try to verify your identity before opening a new account in your name. In fact, freezes help protect your score by preventing your credit from being negatively scored if someone racks up debt in your name.
Most creditors will not issue new credit to a customer if they cannot see that customer’s credit report or the credit score derived from it from at least one of the three big nationwide consumer reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Because creditors run credit checks with any one or a combination of the three big credit bureaus, you need to block access to your reports with all three. If you choose not to block access to your reports at the three main credit bureaus, you should at least place fraud protection solutions alerts on your reports. Some websites have recommended getting freezes with Innovis and ChexSystems, but as far as we know, their reports are not used by creditors for credit approvals. The criminals are getting smarter. If you want to temporarily lift a freeze because you are applying for credit, try to find out which credit bureau the business uses to check credit reports. You can temporarily lift a freeze for a particular creditor or for a specific period of time, from one day to one year. Instead of requesting three at the same time, request one credit report from one of the bureaus every four months.
Requesting free reports with these specialty bureaus every year could help you spot various fraudulent activities done in your name. By blocking creditors from accessing your credit report, you’re stopping identity thieves who apply for new accounts in your name with your stolen Social Security number. Defense against any kind of identity theft starts with vigilance about protecting your personal information by taking steps such as creating secure passwords, keeping your social security number private, and shredding personal documents. Your personal identifying information could include your full name, home address, email address, online login and passwords, Social Security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or bank number. Sign up for your “my Social Security” (MySSA) account. Whether you rely on social media for your business or use it to stay connected with your friends and family, hackers can damage your name or put your job on the line by using your current account details and even create new, false accounts on which they can post offending statements while pretending to be you. Request your driving record to help spot traffic violations committed in your name. NFDM will help this couple determine how much of a mortgage they can afford and which type of mortgage works for their situation.
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