Data Breaches, Credit Freezes, and Vigilance

Credit Freezes: Description, Pros and Cons, and Contact Information for Credit Reporting Agencies

Members of the Financial Security for All Community of Practice (FSA CoP) and our educational partners have developed research-based and experience-tested materials to help Americans deal with the aftermath of the Equifax hack. Below are links to their online blogs and publications:

Equifax Security Breach: Steps to Protect Yourself (Lisa Leslie, University of Florida IFAS Extension):
     http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsboroughco/2017/09/15/equifax-security-breach-steps-protect/

To Freeze or Not Freeze My Credit Report (Kathy Sweedler, …

I think someone has stolen or is trying to steal my identity. What should I do?

  1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) to place a fraud alert on your credit report.
  2. Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit available from the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site www.ftc.gov when disputing unauthorized charges.
  3. File a complaint with the FTC. Print a copy of your complaint to provide important standardized information to the police.
  4. File