ClockWatcher
Dryer sheet aficionado
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2013
- Messages
- 43
Hi everyone,
While many of us focus on accumulating wealth on our way to financial independence, this can also make us more of a target for identity theft:
With the ongoing data breaches, I wanted to update a post I did at the beginning of April regarding security freezes, the only significant preventive measure for identity theft. At the time, I had just learned of some of the specialty consumer reports that are available, and was interested in learning how many other reporting agencies exist, particularly those with established processes to set up security freezes.
The single best directory of national consumer reporting agencies is from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
I recently came across a directory of listing many smaller credit reporting agencies & credit bureaus at the state/local level:
I can confirm from personal experience that it is possible to get security freezes from:
I am presently working on obtaining reporting freezes from:
If you haven’t already done so, I also recommend opting out of pre-screened offers of credit and insurance, as identity thieves sometimes take advantage of them:
It’s not the same as a reporting freeze, but you can reduce the amount of unsolicited telemarketing, direct-mail, and/or email offers, by getting yourself removed from Acxiom’s marketing data products:
If you are on the fence about security freezes, Brian Krebs, a well-respected writer on security issues, presented his own experiences with them:
Anyway, while it’s not easy protecting oneself in such a data-connected world, putting these measures in place has contributed to my peace of mind. Perhaps they will for you also. Take care.
.
While many of us focus on accumulating wealth on our way to financial independence, this can also make us more of a target for identity theft:
With the ongoing data breaches, I wanted to update a post I did at the beginning of April regarding security freezes, the only significant preventive measure for identity theft. At the time, I had just learned of some of the specialty consumer reports that are available, and was interested in learning how many other reporting agencies exist, particularly those with established processes to set up security freezes.
The single best directory of national consumer reporting agencies is from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
I recently came across a directory of listing many smaller credit reporting agencies & credit bureaus at the state/local level:
Directory Of Credit Reporting Agencies & Credit Bureaus
(The California directory appears to be truncated, but the other states I looked at appeared to be complete.)
(The California directory appears to be truncated, but the other states I looked at appeared to be complete.)
I can confirm from personal experience that it is possible to get security freezes from:
National Credit Bureaus
Supplementary/Alternative Credit Bureaus
Checking & Banking Screening Agencies
Other Specialty Consumer Reporting Agencies
I am presently working on obtaining reporting freezes from:
If you haven’t already done so, I also recommend opting out of pre-screened offers of credit and insurance, as identity thieves sometimes take advantage of them:
It’s not the same as a reporting freeze, but you can reduce the amount of unsolicited telemarketing, direct-mail, and/or email offers, by getting yourself removed from Acxiom’s marketing data products:
If you are on the fence about security freezes, Brian Krebs, a well-respected writer on security issues, presented his own experiences with them:
Anyway, while it’s not easy protecting oneself in such a data-connected world, putting these measures in place has contributed to my peace of mind. Perhaps they will for you also. Take care.
.
