| HOW TO DO IT
Here's how to submit a security freeze request to each of the three national credit bureaus. There's no charge for identity theft victims, but you must submit a police report. Experian and Equifax require you to submit your request by certified mail; TransUnion does not. .
Scam Jam 2007 held
By Karen WilliamsonKARENW@CULLMANTIMES.COMExperts agree shredding mail, paying bills and viewing bank statements online, picking up new check orders at the bank and mailing bills at the post office are ways to stop identity theft.If people take those steps, they will have reduced their risk for identity theft considerably, according to Federal Trade Commission attorney Paul Davis from Atlanta who was one of the experts at the 2007 Scam Jam Wednesday at City Hall."That right there will eliminate a certain percentage of identity theft," he said.Paying bills online requires the use of anti-virus software and firewalls on personal computers, and both have to be updated regularly, he said.Davis recommends contacting one of the three consumer reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — every four months to request a free credit report."Federal law allows you to get free copies of each one every year," he said.That way people will know quickly if there is a problem.
Credit freeze: Three largest credit bureaus will put a lock on data reporting to protect against fraud
As of Nov. 1, consumers wanting stronger protection against identity theft can freeze their credit reports at all three major credit-reporting agencies -- regardless of their state's laws. TransUnion was the first of the three largest credit bureaus to grant credit freezes to all consumers. It rolled out its plan on Oct. 15. Equifax and Experian mirrored the offer weeks later, and introduced their universal credit freeze plans on Oct. 31 and Nov.1, respectively. Consumers living in Michigan and other states that don't have credit freeze laws (or just limited ones), now have the ability to place a freeze on their TransUnion, Equifax and Experian credit reports. Victims of identity theft will be able to place, lift or thaw, and remove the freeze for free, while nonvictims will pay $10 each time.
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