Protect yourself for less. Monitor your financial statements and credit reports for suspicious activity that can lead to identity theft. If your credit cards are lost or stolen, you don’t need LifeLock to notify your financial institutions to cancel and replace them. If your Social Security number is out there, we suggest that you put a security freeze on your credit reports at the big three credit bureaus–Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. That will prevent creditors from accessing your file if a crook tries to open a new account in your name. Without access, creditors are likely to deny a credit application. If you’re not yet a victim of identity theft, you might have to pay $3 to $20 (depending on where you live) to freeze your accounts at each bureau. When you apply for new credit, insurance, or utility service, there might be similar fees to remove the freeze. But there is usually no charge if you’re already a victim of ID theft. Credit bureaus consider credit- and debit-card theft as identity theft, so it should be easier for you to get free freezes. You generally must provide a police report to prove your claim, so make sure you file one right after your credit or debit card or wallet is stolen. Ditto if your home has been burglarized; your computer, cell phone, or other device has been lost or stolen; you receive notification that your personal data has been breached; or you discover unauthorized transactions in your bank or investment accounts.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 12:20:59 +0000
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