Reminder -- $5 Credit Freezes now available for Ohioans

[Danielle]

Back in a July Blog post we discussed the pro's and con's of "freezing" your credit report. Well, if you made the decision to process a freeze to avoid ID Theft, now's the time! As of 9/1/08, Ohioans are eligible to place voluntary freezes on their credit reports for a $5 fee with each of the three main credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Individuals who are victims of Identity Theft can place these freezes at no cost.

(Remember, you should only "freeze" your credit report if you have no forseeable need to apply for a loan or otherwise access your credit report. Sometimes this is also required for opening new depository accounts, applying for a job, etc.)

I was doing an informal test between how long it takes to do the freeze by phone, and how long it takes to do the freeze via the internet. The internet appears to be faster, but if you have a higher comfort level with the phone, please feel free to use it. I gave up the phone after being on hold with Equifax for 10 minutes. Just be aware that placing the freeze by internet is one of the few times where you really will have to release your social security number online. If that doesn't sit well with you, reach for the phone and your knitting. Or read the instructions on how to do the request by snail mail.

So here are the *official* web sites and phone numbers for processing these freezes. Please only use these web sites...do not google "credit report freeze" and follow resulting links because who knows if you'll land on a legitimate site or a spoof site:

* www.freeze.equifax.com or 888-298-0045
* www.experian.com/freeze or 888-397-3742
* Transunion has their "freeze" page within the www.annualcreditreport.com area (the government-sanctioned site for getting one free credit report per year from each of the three bureaus) annualcreditreport.transunion.com/fa/securityFreeze/landing or go to www.transunion.com and follow the "security freeze" link at the bottom. Phone number is 888-909-8872

Be ID-safe out there!