4/18/2024 0 Comments Equifax freeze temporary liftImportant note: Do not lose that PIN - make sure to keep each unique PIN in a safe place where only you (or your spouse/family member) can access it! Q: How do I freeze my credit? A: You can do it online or by mail for all 3 credit bureaus. If the agency offers the option of email you your PIN, that’s a bad idea, in case your email were to get hacked at some point. Once you freeze your credit with all three main credit agencies, you then receive a unique PIN from each that only you know and have access to. And in order to authorize the new account, they need to verify that it’s actually you - and when your credit is frozen, criminals can’t pretend to be you. ![]() Q: What exactly is a credit freeze? A: Also known as a security freeze, a credit freeze restricts access to your credit report so no one can open a new credit account in your name.Ī credit freeze prevents criminals from using your personal information to open new accounts or get loans in your name, since most creditors/lenders need to see your credit report before approving a new account. ![]() Just enter your information to find out if you were impacted by the hack.Įquifax is also offering consumers the option to sign up for free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection - but DON’T DO IT! It’s a waste. If you want to check whether you were impacted, here is the direct link to the page on the Equifax website. The company says it is also sending notices in the mail to consumers whose credit card numbers and/or dispute documents were exposed. Q: How can I find out if my information was exposed? A: Equifax has a special website where you can check.Įquifax has set up a specific website to help consumers find out if their information has been exposed. This is why it is extremely crucial that you understand the implications of the hack and what you can do to protect yourself moving forward. When certain aspects of your finances are severely damaged, it can take several years to repair it, and for some people, their financial life will never be repaired. The information that was leaked is exactly what criminals need to wreak havoc on a person’s entire life - both financial and personal. RELATED: How to avoid scams related to the Equifax hack Q: How bad is the potential damage? A: Very bad.Īccording to money expert Clark Howard, this data breach is the worst we’ve seen in modern history - and Americans will be feeling the impact for years - and in some cases, forever. consumers - along with “certain dispute documents” that contain personal identifying information for another 182,000 consumers. On top of that, hackers were able to access credit card numbers belonging to more than 200,000 U.S. Q: What information was leaked in the data hack? A: A lot.Īccording to Equifax, the information exposed in the breach is more than enough to cause people some serious trouble - with criminals gaining unauthorized access to consumers’ names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and some driver’s license numbers. ![]() ![]() So to help you better understand the details of the breach, potential consequences and what you can do to protect yourself, we’ve provided answers to some of your most frequently asked questions and concerns. Equifax breach FAQs: What you need to know consumers, people have been asking all kinds of questions regarding what it means for them and how they can protect themselves. After Equifax announced it was the victim of a massive data breach that exposed personal information belonging to 143 million U.S.
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