Law and Rights
Preventing identity theft also means protecting your credit reputation and credit record. To do that you may want to stop getting pre-approved credit card applications that can be stolen from your mailbox, make sure you credit report is accurate and no strange accounts show up on it, and maybe even freeze your credit file. Here's why and how for each of them.
Protecting Your Mail
Millions of pre-approved credit card applications are mailed out each year to consumers and many of them end up in the trash can. Don't just throw it away, where a "dumpster diving" thief can find it, fill it out and change the address and get credit in your name, run up the bill and stick you with a black mark on your credit record. Tear up that application first. And when mailing important documents or payment checks out in the mail, don't put them in your mailbox out front. That red flag is a signal to everyone that you've got mail they can get just by driving by. Drop those envelopes off at the post office. Better yet, if you want to stop getting those pre-approved credit card applications in the mail, just call 1.888.5.OPT.OUT. You can also stop most junk mail too by sending a letter with your first and last name, home address, and signature to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Assn, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.
Check Your Credit Report Regularly
You can get one free credit report on yourself each year from each of the three national credit bureaus and you should. Check to see if any strange credit inquiries show up, if any new accounts have been opened up that you don't know about, or if anything is inaccurate and just a plain mistake that needs fixing. To get your free report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call them at 1.877.322.8228. The smart move is to get a free one from a different credit bureau once each 4 months. The info is a little different in each report, but a regular check of your report can keep you on top of things.
Freeze Your Credit Record
There's an even easier way to stop anyone from getting new credit in your name. Just freeze your credit file. It's sometimes called a "security" freeze and doing it makes it illegal for the credit bureau to release any information about you to new creditors without your express approval. That can make it very tough for an identity thief to use your personal identifying information to open up a new account or get a new credit card because stores and other credit card companies can't get a copy of your credit report from the only 3 credit reporting agencies who have it. Freezing your credit costs just $10 per credit bureau but is free for identity theft victims. To find out what the State Credit Freeze Law is in your state, click here.
You can contact the credit bureaus here:
Equifax
[security freeze request]
PO Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
Experian
[security freeze request]
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
Innovis
[security freeze request]
PO Box 725
Columbus, OH 43216
TransUnion
[security freeze request]
PO Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
And to find out more about your credit rights, check out Ohio Fair Credit, the web site that explains your rights and how to protect them.
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- National Consumer Protection Week, Day Three
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- Your Credit Score, Understanding It
A study in 2007 by Bankrate showed that 45% of US consumers don't know their own credit score and 32% have never even looked at their credit report. The current numbers are probably not much better and it's no wonder. Everyone may be in debt,...
- Block Your Credit Records
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- The Credit Card Universal Default Ripoff
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Law and Rights
Protect Your Credit
Preventing identity theft also means protecting your credit reputation and credit record. To do that you may want to stop getting pre-approved credit card applications that can be stolen from your mailbox, make sure you credit report is accurate and no strange accounts show up on it, and maybe even freeze your credit file. Here's why and how for each of them.
Protecting Your Mail
Millions of pre-approved credit card applications are mailed out each year to consumers and many of them end up in the trash can. Don't just throw it away, where a "dumpster diving" thief can find it, fill it out and change the address and get credit in your name, run up the bill and stick you with a black mark on your credit record. Tear up that application first. And when mailing important documents or payment checks out in the mail, don't put them in your mailbox out front. That red flag is a signal to everyone that you've got mail they can get just by driving by. Drop those envelopes off at the post office. Better yet, if you want to stop getting those pre-approved credit card applications in the mail, just call 1.888.5.OPT.OUT. You can also stop most junk mail too by sending a letter with your first and last name, home address, and signature to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Assn, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.
Check Your Credit Report Regularly
You can get one free credit report on yourself each year from each of the three national credit bureaus and you should. Check to see if any strange credit inquiries show up, if any new accounts have been opened up that you don't know about, or if anything is inaccurate and just a plain mistake that needs fixing. To get your free report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call them at 1.877.322.8228. The smart move is to get a free one from a different credit bureau once each 4 months. The info is a little different in each report, but a regular check of your report can keep you on top of things.
Freeze Your Credit Record
There's an even easier way to stop anyone from getting new credit in your name. Just freeze your credit file. It's sometimes called a "security" freeze and doing it makes it illegal for the credit bureau to release any information about you to new creditors without your express approval. That can make it very tough for an identity thief to use your personal identifying information to open up a new account or get a new credit card because stores and other credit card companies can't get a copy of your credit report from the only 3 credit reporting agencies who have it. Freezing your credit costs just $10 per credit bureau but is free for identity theft victims. To find out what the State Credit Freeze Law is in your state, click here.
You can contact the credit bureaus here:
Equifax
[security freeze request]
PO Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
Experian
[security freeze request]
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
Innovis
[security freeze request]
PO Box 725
Columbus, OH 43216
TransUnion
[security freeze request]
PO Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
And to find out more about your credit rights, check out Ohio Fair Credit, the web site that explains your rights and how to protect them.
Burdge Law Office
www.OhioFairCredit.com
Because Your Good Name is Worth it.
www.OhioFairCredit.com
Because Your Good Name is Worth it.
Subscribe in a reader- National Consumer Protection Week, Day Three
Identity thieves are out to steal from you. And they are very good at it. More about that in a minute. This is day three of National Consumer Protection Week and we are continuing our week-long series on common consumer frauds and scams, with tips on...
- Credit Records And Credit Rights, An Fyi Word For Consumers
Akron.com, a news outlet on the internet for the Akron Ohio area, recently published an article on Credit Rights and consumer rights about their credit record, authored by Dayton attorney Ron Burdge and now being circulated by the Ohio State Bar Association."Most...
- Your Credit Score, Understanding It
A study in 2007 by Bankrate showed that 45% of US consumers don't know their own credit score and 32% have never even looked at their credit report. The current numbers are probably not much better and it's no wonder. Everyone may be in debt,...
- Block Your Credit Records
Did you know that a guy working for a mortgage company thousands of miles from you can open your wallet or purse and look at everything? They can get your credit card names and balances, even your mortgage info. It's a little known loophole in the...
- The Credit Card Universal Default Ripoff
Quick, call your credit card companies and ask if they use "universal default". If they do, you lose. With this clause buried away in their "Terms and Conditions" of your credit car, they can charge you huge rates --- up to 35% interest --- if you are...