Fraudulent claims on loans and leases are the fastest-growing kind of identity theft in the United States. Incidents of identity theft for leases and loans more than doubled in the last year.
That has been one of my worst fears for a long time, so I decided to look into options to keep my information safe from those looking to use data that does not belong to them for personal gain, and now I get to share my knowledge with you!
Locking your credit is a preventative measure you can take to prevent any person or agency from accessing your individual information. By taking this step, you actively prevent identity theft and any other fraudulent acts on your credit.
When locking your credit, a vital element to know is that locking your credit with one credit bureau will not cause the other two reports to be locked.
When you request your credit locks, you will need to:
1. Call Experian at (888) 397-3742 or request a freeze online at the Experian Freeze Center.
2. Call Equifax at (888) 298-0045 or create/access an online account to manage your freeze manually.
Each credit bureau will request that you create a user account on their website or app when you join their program. When you are ready to unlock your credit, you will be able to log in and unlock your file with only one click.
Sadly identity theft and credit fraud are significant causes of concern when it comes to financial safety. It is not getting better as time goes on, so it is as crucial as ever to keep your personal information safe.