#Equifax security freeze help how to#

The phone number is 1-80 (1-80 for New York residents). Freezing your credit with EquifaxĬredit freezes with Equifax can be done either on its website or through an automated phone line. You may receive a PIN used to freeze and unfreeze your credit report if needed. The agencies will typically ask you to provide your name, address, birth date and Social Security number, as well as questions to verify your identity. To freeze your credit, cardmembers will typically need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus - Experian™, Equifax ® and TransUnion ® - and request a credit freeze on each report. Enabling or disabling a credit lock can be done through a dedicated smartphone app or secure website. Credit lockĪ credit lock allows you to lock and unlock your credit report. Credit freeze services are mandated by federal law, can be done at no cost and can take up to 24 hours to take effect. Credit freezeĪdding or lifting a credit freeze requires working with a credit agency. credit lock: What's the difference?Ĭredit freezes and credit locks (when available) are two ways to help block unwanted access to your credit reports, but there are differences. In addition, credit monitoring services may still access your reports and may continue to alert you about any changes or suspicious activity. But this block doesn't necessarily apply to current creditors and debt collectors, who may still have access to your data. When you freeze a credit report, your credit information is typically blocked from access by outside parties indefinitely, until the block is removed. What happens when credit reports are frozen?

Alternatively, it may be because you've been made aware of a security breach and want to prevent potential identity theft. This may be because you want to avoid a hard check on your credit report, or it may be a way to keep you from impulsively applying for another credit card. When you freeze your credit, you're effectively keeping other entities from viewing your credit reports, whether they be lenders, service providers, identity thieves or someone else.

#Equifax security freeze help how to#

Pretty much anyone can initiate a credit freeze, and it's helpful to know how to freeze your credit report in case you ever need to. You can create an account at credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, is something you can do to help prevent unwanted access to your credit reports. When you create a mySocial Security account, you can claim your Social Security number and prevent someone else to make transactions in your name. If your Social Security number has been stolen, you can call the Social Security fraud hotline at 1-80 or report it to the Federal Trade Commission website. Report your stolen Social Security number If you discover that someone has taken out credit in your name, you can use these credit reports to help restore your credit. To learn more, visit the Annual Credit Report website. You can use these reports to search for activity you don’t recognize. Review on the Annual Credit Report siteĮvery 12 months, the Annual Credit Report website gives you credit reports at no charge from all 3 credit bureaus. When you contact a credit bureau, that bureau tells the other 2 bureaus to place a fraud alert on your reports. To place a fraud alert, you only need to contact one of the 3 credit bureaus: Before you open a credit account, the business that issued the credit must verify your identity. To place a credit freeze, you need to contact all 3 credit bureaus:Ī fraud alert makes it harder for someone to open a new credit account in your name. If you need to apply for new credit while the freeze is in place, you can temporarily lift the freeze. To prevent this issue, you can follow these steps: Place a credit freezeĪ credit freeze restricts access to your credit report, so that anyone can’t open a new credit account.

Someone else can use your name, Social Security number (SSN), address, and date of birth to take out credit in your name.