Credit Freeze- free until Jan31st

[Beendare]

Pardon the non hunting related topic....but with all of the security breeches this could end up being important.

Its a good idea to freeze your credit if you aren't currently applying for a loan or something

Equifax was hacked- among others- and as part of a settlement, you can Freeze your credit for free until the end of the month- Wed. you start by checking to see if you were exposed- we were!

You go on their website- Equifax.com, check to see if you were exposed by your last name and last 6 of your social and it tells you if your personal info was hacked.

Doesn't matter if it was or wasn't, you can freeze it for free. Enter your info [[preferably in a protected browser]

They give you a pin number to unfreeze...to do that go to freeze.equifax.com -[EDIT; I'm not hot linking]

My wife and I both lost important info...but have not been impacted. I know some folks that weren't so lucky.

 

[cnelk]

But...
They will charge you to ‘un-freeze’ them

 

[Beendare]

But...
They will charge you to ‘un-freeze’ them

Brad, Suit yourself.

They MIGHT charge you [a small fee] depending on the state you are in [they cannot charge us] but the terms of their settlement was to help folks that have lost their credit info due to Equifax's screwups. Millions affected.

I doubt they are itching for another lawsuit taking advantage of consumers.......and they would surely get it if they did that.

 

[tipsntails7]

Pardon the non hunting related topic....but with all of the security breeches this could end up being important.

Its a good idea to freeze your credit if you aren't currently applying for a loan or something

Equifax was hacked- among others- and as part of a settlement, you can Freeze your credit for free until the end of the month- Wed. you start by checking to see if you were exposed- we were!

You go on their website- Equifax.com, check to see if you were exposed by your last name and last 6 of your social and it tells you if your personal info was hacked.

Doesn't matter if it was or wasn't, you can freeze it for free. Enter your info [[preferably in a protected browser]

They give you a pin number to unfreeze...to do that go to freeze.equifax.com -[EDIT; I'm not hot linking]

My wife and I both lost important info...but have not been impacted. I know some folks that weren't so lucky.

Been, I've also heard that by doing this you release equifax from liability down the road, should a class action suit be filed, you will no longer be able to be a party to it.
Any truth to that that you have heard of?

 

[Grumman]

Pretty sure I heard Dave Ramsey say that on his show not long ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cnelk]

Oh I’ve froze mine months ago

 

[MuleyFever]

This is also only one agency. If you really wanted to freeze your credit you would have to go through the other 2 as well.

 

[cnelk]

This is also only one agency. If you really wanted to freeze your credit you would have to go through the other 2 as well.

Exactly - Be sure to save your PIN for each when/if you want to re-instate each of them - or youll be screwed

 

[ezmorningrebel]

Oh I’ve froze mine months ago

same here. when i started researching this it made a lot more sense to me that frozen should be the default status for your credit. i mean how often are you buying cars, houses, opening up new lines of credit.

i get enraged when i really think about this. how is it that these private companies are allowed to collect and store information about us without our consent and then charge us money to protect it. it almost feels like a mob shakedown.

 

[5MilesBack]

how is it that these private companies are allowed to collect and store information about us without our consent and then charge us money to protect it. it almost feels like a mob shakedown.

Exactly. And they aren't even "private". Equifax is a publicly traded company.

 

[bivouaclarry]

If you used Equifax's offer of free credit monitoring service, then the fine print indicated you gave up your ability to sue. Freezing your credit does not trigger that clause.

OP is correct on freezing credit as the only way to keep people from opening new accounts, loans, credit cards in your name. However, your credit can still be affected in a negative way regardless of freeze. If you are late or default, businesses can still report the delinquency.

Make no mistake, your information was stolen. Pretty much everybody in the U.S. was affected. And it's more than just the basic SS#, DL#, birthdates. The credit agency's know where you have lived. What you have purchased on credit. Family members. Your life history as far as credit is concerned.

Freeze across all 3 agencies. Save the PIN's. It really should be the default setting.

 

[Beendare]

Two very good posts- below- and right on the money....

same here. when i started researching this it made a lot more sense to me that frozen should be the default status for your credit. i mean how often are you buying cars, houses, opening up new lines of credit.

i get enraged when i really think about this. how is it that these private companies are allowed to collect and store information about us without our consent and then charge us money to protect it. it almost feels like a mob shakedown.

If you used Equifax's offer of free credit monitoring service, then the fine print indicated you gave up your ability to sue. Freezing your credit does not trigger that clause.

OP is correct on freezing credit as the only way to keep people from opening new accounts, loans, credit cards in your name. However, your credit can still be affected in a negative way regardless of freeze. If you are late or default, businesses can still report the delinquency.

Make no mistake, your information was stolen. Pretty much everybody in the U.S. was affected. And it's more than just the basic SS#, DL#, birthdates. The credit agency's know where you have lived. What you have purchased on credit. Family members. Your life history as far as credit is concerned.

Freeze across all 3 agencies. Save the PIN's. It really should be the default setting.

Believe me off really ticks me off too.
The credit agencies lose our info....and now we might have to pay in the future to keep it secure? A crock.

____

The other part of this equation is to update your Security/passwords with a password keeper; iPass, the Kasperky version- something.

The old my dogs name followed by the year password just doesn't cut it anymore for financially sensitive stuff. And never follow a link in a phishing email thats supposedly from your bank, credit card company, etc. as many of those are masked and go directly to Rasheed in Nigeria

 

[Beendare]

Regarding future lawsuits;

I dunno. I do know that those class action suits are a joke and I want no part of them. I have seen many, they go on for years and the only folks that do any good are the lawyers.

Now, i'm sure a lawyer here will give an example of some mine collapse where the victims actually got something out of it....but I can tell you I've gotten an avg of 4 of these a year in the mail suing banks, financial inst, insurance co's, etc- and they don't amount to squat.

Most that i've been contacted on amount to a corporate shakedown through our "anyone can sue anyone..... for anything" system.

 

[Murdy]

First, thanks for posting this up, Beendare. Great info, appears I have been impacted by the breach.

Second, the point of class action suits most of the time is to keep the wrongdoer from profiting from his wrongdoing when the amount is relatively trivial to the victims but significant, because there are enough victims, to the wrongdoer. It's not so much about compensating the victim (its a trivial-ish amount to begin with), but to keep and deter companies from nickel and diming us to death.

 

[5MilesBack]

Doesn't freezing your credit, also freeze your ability to use any credit cards?

 

[ezmorningrebel]

Doesn't freezing your credit, also freeze your ability to use any credit cards?

no just anything that would require a credit check. opening a new card, financing a house, car, etc. you can temporarily unfreeze to do those things. i would urge anyone to look into making frozen their default status.

 

[5MilesBack]

no just anything that would require a credit check. opening a new card, financing a house, car, etc. you can temporarily unfreeze to do those things. i would urge anyone to look into making frozen their default status.

If that's the case, I would have frozen what I didn't even know existed years ago. In fact I would have requested that they completely delete my file and any info they have.

However, right after the Equifax breach came out CNBC had some finance guru on explaining what people should do, and with the credit "freeze" he said you'd have to call or unfreeze it every time you use your credit card.

 

[flyinsquirel]

Your bad for watching CNBC. Just saying.....

 

[5MilesBack]

Your bad for watching CNBC. Just saying.....

Why is that? It's a fantastic stock and investing program. Been watching it for years for real-time stock stuff. It's actually quite comical, especially when they bring on liberal economists and commentators making fools out of themselves.

 

[flyinsquirel]

For starters, I can't believe that you would watch anything NBC given your views. I see now it may be for comedic relief.

Second, apparently they don't give good advice what with their expert being patently wrong and all.

Third, I put a smiley on it.