Post by kjs on Sept 8, 2017 12:08:28 GMT -6
Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus, lost control of customer data that included social security numbers, home addresses, credit card numbers, drivers license numbers and birth dates. The company estimates that the data of 143 million people were exposed, which equals roughly half the US population. That means that the chances you are affected are pretty high.
Worried you may be affected by Equifax's massive data breach? The credit bureau has set up a site, equifaxsecurity2017.com, that allows you to check whether your personal information was exposed. But regulators are becoming concerned that the site could pose risks to consumers. As a result, you may want to think twice about using it. Here's why.
The website's terms of service potentially restricts your legal rights. (in other words cannot sue them if you sign up for their service)
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Another route to protect yourself (and still allow you to join a class action suit against Equifax) is to freeze your accounts.
If you are not buying a car, house, or getting another credit card -- buying a freeze might be the best route
It's still early days, so even if your credit report comes back clean, remain vigilant about protecting your credit. One of the most reliable ways to prevent someone from opening credit cards in your name is to place what's called a "credit freeze."
When you freeze your credit, you (or anyone masquerading as you) will be required to un-freeze your account by providing the PIN you got when you froze your credit.
To freeze your credit, contact each of the credit bureaus using these phone numbers:
Equifax: 1-800-349-9960
Experian: 1‑888‑397‑3742 www.experian.com/freeze (had to do this one online)
TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872
The process is usually automated and can be completed within a few minutes. Just be sure to write down your PINs in a secure place.
MOST require a payment -- usually based off state --- in VA it is a ten dollar fee
Worried you may be affected by Equifax's massive data breach? The credit bureau has set up a site, equifaxsecurity2017.com, that allows you to check whether your personal information was exposed. But regulators are becoming concerned that the site could pose risks to consumers. As a result, you may want to think twice about using it. Here's why.
The website's terms of service potentially restricts your legal rights. (in other words cannot sue them if you sign up for their service)
=============
Another route to protect yourself (and still allow you to join a class action suit against Equifax) is to freeze your accounts.
If you are not buying a car, house, or getting another credit card -- buying a freeze might be the best route
It's still early days, so even if your credit report comes back clean, remain vigilant about protecting your credit. One of the most reliable ways to prevent someone from opening credit cards in your name is to place what's called a "credit freeze."
When you freeze your credit, you (or anyone masquerading as you) will be required to un-freeze your account by providing the PIN you got when you froze your credit.
To freeze your credit, contact each of the credit bureaus using these phone numbers:
Equifax: 1-800-349-9960
Experian: 1‑888‑397‑3742 www.experian.com/freeze (had to do this one online)
TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872
The process is usually automated and can be completed within a few minutes. Just be sure to write down your PINs in a secure place.
MOST require a payment -- usually based off state --- in VA it is a ten dollar fee