When making the freeze request, customers will be asked to answer questions to verify their identity. All three bureaus are required to offer credit freezes for free, regardless of where customers live in the U.S. If a customer decides their finances need the extra level of protection in the form of a credit freeze, customers will need to request a freeze from each of the three major consumer credit bureaus individually: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Even if criminals have customers’ personal information, such as their Social Security numbers or birth dates, the credit freeze prevents them from opening new lines of credit.įreezing credit is easy, but it doesn’t happen automatically and involves more than just clicking a button. But when the credit report is frozen, the potential creditor cannot access the information required to approve the application.Ī credit freeze often comes in handy when identity thieves attempt to open new lines of credit in the names of their victims and make unauthorized credit inquiries. Whenever a consumer applies for a line of credit like a credit card or home loan, a lender or card issuer usually checks customers’ credit before making a decision. What a credit freeze does is simple: It protects customers by blocking access to their credit reports.
TRANSUNION CREDIT FREEZE DATE OF BIRTH HOW TO
But knowing how to freeze your credit can prevent you from pain even worse than frostbite: identity theft.
When you think of freezing, credit may not be the first word that comes to mind.
0 kommentar(er)
