Equifax Data Breach

[Topcat]

Since the Equifax data reporting co. has been breached I've been trying to freeze my credit rating at all three companies that do that:
EQUIFAX - About breach 1-866-447-7559
Equifax — 1-800-349-9960
Experian — 1‑888‑397‑3742
TransUnion — 1-888-909-8872

But the only thing that's frozen is their websites.
They must be swamped.

 

[Nakamova]

I hope all three companies are forced to offer free and easy ways to freeze credit, since they make money off of OUR data for free. (Including the Equifax executives who sold off stock right after the hack occurred, many months before the breach was made public).

 

[finalpoet]

What are your thoughts? Should I freeze my credit score?

 

[valeriedl]

What are your thoughts? Should I freeze my credit score?

My husband when crazy when he heard about Equifax. He had me check my credit to make sure there wasn't anything on there that shouldn't be then made me freeze my credit. Doing that is going to be a pain now because any time I need my credit checked for something I'm going to have to unfreeze it and I don't know how easy that's going to do when I'm out places. I don't know if it's something that I'm able to do on the internet over my phone or if it's something that I'm going to have to do on the home computer.

I don't think I would have done it if it wasn't for him making me do it.

 

[finalpoet]

I'm thinking about freezing it before I regret not having it done.

 

[Topcat]

I was able to freeze Experion & Trans Union.
Yesterday I was online a good part of the morning on the Equifax website and wasn't able to freeze it but today went on and did it quick . No problem.

 

[Nakamova]

I already use creditkarma.com to check my credit score and monitor my credit (it's a completely free service). And in October, they're going to offer free ID monitoring that will alert you if your identity data has been compromised in hacks:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...nitoring-following-equifax-hack-idUSKCN1BQ2CJ

 

[Topcat]

I already use creditkarma.com to check my credit score and monitor my credit (it's a completely free service). And in October, they're going to offer free ID monitoring that will alert you if your identity data has been compromised in hacks:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...nitoring-following-equifax-hack-idUSKCN1BQ2CJ

Doesn't that show after it's already been stolen?

 

[Nakamova]

Yes, but at least you can find out quickly!

 

[Bernard]

Equifax has set up a special website to help folks in the wake of their breech. This website allows you to check whether or not your data was compromised by the breech:

https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/

To check, begin the process of enrolling in TrustedID Premier (which they are offering 1 free year to everyone because of the breech). You don't have to actually complete the enrollment if you don't want the TrustedID Premier service, but you have to initiate the process to start the check.

edit: however...

... TrustedID Premier is a credit-monitoring program, which Equifax is giving away free for a year. As TechCrunch pointed out, agreeing to the TrustedID Premier terms of service seem to waive users’ rights to sue Equifax. ...

http://gizmodo.com/heres-how-to-sort-of-find-out-if-you-were-affected-by-1802238924

 

[Topcat]

my info was stolen

 

[Nakamova]

Has your info been used for fraudulent purposes, or did Equifax says that it was likely to have been stolen? I ask, because the system that Equifax has been using to determine if an individual's info was or was not stolen has been shown to be faulty. See http://www.zdnet.com/article/we-tested-equifax-data-breach-checker-it-is-basically-useless/

 

[resaebiunne]

I've been using a credit monitoring service through USAA for years now. Not only does it alert you to updates to your credit report, it gives you monthly (or daily if you pay more) credit report compilations. Yes, you can find these services for free, but paid services like this also offer identity fraud insurance and protection services. Now that this data breach has happened it is worth the cost.

You can also signed up for Equifaxe's own TrustedID service which is free and offers the same liability protection, but I am skeptical about their service since it is so heavily linked to Equifax. It's also free so I imagine they would give you quite the run-around if you actually had to make a claim. I signed up anyway, but I don't trust it. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.