Best Identity Theft Protection?? (Spooky Spam Call)

OG Net_Man wrote:

Access online Transunion, Experian and Equifax and create a account. You can search each of these names with the words credit freeze and the search results may shorten your efforts. At least one of these services has multiple types of accounts but all 3 have free accounts available.

You can call 1 or more of these and do a credit freeze over the phone but I would recommend setting up the account on each. Once the account is set up then you can request a credit freeze, review personal information, credit card account information and such. If you see anything out of line you that you desire to change or delete they refer to it as a dispute. You need to review your information on each of these sites because the information usually varies between sites.

Since login requires my SS does this mean my wife must sign into her own account and freeze under her name?

Its funny you say that Stanley because we have had the opposite results. The CU accounts have been compromised multiple times, but I have never had an issue with Wells Fargo. My son’s account was hacked or someone tried to buy thousands in stuff at Best Buy and my wife was compromised in TX. We think that one was a Card replication device at a gas pump.

Yea, it’s weird how it works why one account keeps getting hit while the other doesn’t. We are switching to using our credit cards more for the rewards and fraud protection. Like others have said something needs to be done about these scammers but what?

I’m happy at least wells fargo is on top of things. I would have been pissed if 8k was missing and I had to fight for it. But they figured it out before I even knew about it.

Since login requires my SS does this mean my wife must sign into her own account and freeze under her name?
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Yes, or you can create the account for her with her social security #, birthday and cell # for the one time pass code. Can’t remember if the pass code is only sent to the cell # or if a option to send to e-mail….

One thing to keep in mind is that insurance companies use your Insurance score
( Mostly made up from your Credit score ) to Determine your rates. This for sure is done when applying for new insurance and is often done at a renewal. Both a DMV report and new Insurance score is run. I’m not sure if you have your Credit being blocked by the Main Credit agencies, if they can get a accurate score. If not they will likely assign it a low Insurance score and thus charge higher rates. Most people have no idea of how much your insurance rates are based off of Insurance score / Credit scores.

That’s interesting fishthumper, thanks.

fishthumper wrote:

One thing to keep in mind is that insurance companies use your Insurance score
( Mostly made up from your Credit score ) to Determine your rates. This for sure is done when applying for new insurance and is often done at a renewal. Both a DMV report and new Insurance score is run. I’m not sure if you have your Credit being blocked by the Main Credit agencies, if they can get a accurate score. If not they will likely assign it a low Insurance score and thus charge higher rates. Most people have no idea of how much your insurance rates are based off of Insurance score / Credit scores.

Sounds like another complete scam of its own

There is supposed to be an exception in the 2018 law for insurance and some other things but it’s probably good to ask about if getting new quotes:

(4) Exceptions. A security freeze shall not apply to the making of a
consumer report for use of the following:
…
(H) Any person using the information in connection with the
underwriting of insurance.

Also if you already have insurance and they raise your rate because of credit they have to send you a “adverse action notice” about it.

Reef W wrote:

There is supposed to be an exception in the 2018 law for insurance and some other things but it’s probably good to ask about if getting new quotes:

(4) Exceptions. A security freeze shall not apply to the making of a
consumer report for use of the following:
…
(H) Any person using the information in connection with the
underwriting of insurance.

Also if you already have insurance and they raise your rate because of credit they have to send you a “adverse action notice” about it.

Sounds like the Freeze does not effect insurance companies. I kind of thought it was something like that.

we need to do this, our mortgage company sent a letter a couple weeks ago about a breach and our info was stolen.

the only thing I don’t like about making 3 more acounts for the freeze is its another access point for theft, it seems like a matter of time when the 3 credit bureaus get hacked with (similar to lifelock)

ShldHveBenHreYserdy wrote:

the only thing I don’t like about making 3 more acounts for the freeze is its another access point for theft, it seems like a matter of time when the 3 credit bureaus get hacked with (similar to lifelock)

you already have an “account” with each of the 3 credit bureaus, hence why you have a credit rating. Even if the credit bureaus get hacked and stole your SSN and other personal information, the hacker would still need your unique pin (which is given to you when you freeze your credit) to unfreeze your credit and open any accounts that are tied to your SSN.

At the end of the day, there is simply no better FREE way to protect yourself from identity theft than freezing your credit. Heck, I’d even argue its better than any sort of identify theft product out there that costs money.

Also Equifax already was hacked back in like 2017ish. Every company is susceptible to getting hacked, even the bureaus.