Time to check or freeze your credit?

We frequently work with people who have been targeted by scams. It's not surprising, considering that nearly half of US consumers have inaccurate information in their credit reports, which can be damaging to your credit score, and can sometimes be a sign of fraudulent activity. While many scammers are just trying to convince you to pay them for something you don't need, sometimes scams go deeper, and lead to identity theft.

Identity theft can occur when scammers gather identifying information about you, such as your social security number or banking information, and then pose as you in order to open new financial accounts in your name, leaving you on the hook for fraudulent charges.

It can take months or even years to recover from identity theft, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Here are the two most effectives defenses against identity theft:

1. Check your credit file on at least an annual basis to ensure it's accurate, and that no false information has been planted. You can do this at no cost via AnnualCredit Report.com, which is legitimate source for free credit checks. Check your credit with all 3 credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. If you find inaccurate information, dispute it.

2. Freeze your credit by going through the credit freeze process on each bureau's website (phone and mail-in options are also available). When your credit is frozen, neither you nor scammers can open new financial accounts in your name, because companies can no longer run credit checks on you. When you are ready to undertake a major financial transaction, you can thaw your credit, either temporarily or permanently, by going to the same websites you visited when you froze your credit. The bureaus promise to thaw your credit within 15 minutes after you make the request.

Freeze your credit at all 3 credit bureaus for maximum effectiveness. Click each link below to begin the process:

TransUnion
Equifax
Experian

Do you need help going through the online process of checking or freezing your credit? We can support you every step of the way, over the course of an appointment, by phone or in the comfort of your home. ​