90 DAY FRAUD ALERT
If you haven’t heard about the Equifax security breach that released millions of social security numbers and dates of birth, you will. What you need to do right now is act fast and don’t sign or “click any boxes” with Equifax unless you know what you are agreeing to. By accepting the “free” credit monitoring that Equifax is offering, you may waive your rights. Equifax may have negligently released your information when you didn’t have any relationship with them. So here’s what you should do right now and it doesn’t cost you any money.
Call one of the Credit Reporting Companies and you can place a fraud alert on your credit over the phone. It is free for 90 days. You can give yourself a reminder to do it every 90 days and it doesn’t cost you anything. Since the security breach of information, Equifax requires you to do it online and asks you to “click the box” that may affect your rights. You can call TransUnion or Experian and place the fraud alert by telephone. All you need is your social security number, date of birth, numeric portion of your street address, your zip code and a phone number. You input it all without having to speak to anyone. It is fast, it is easy, IT PROTECTS YOU FOR FREE. Once you place the fraud alert with one company, it automatically is placed with the other two companies. The phone numbers are TransUnion (800-680-7289), Experian (888-397-3742) and Equifax (800-525-6285).
After you place the fraud alert, nobody should be able to obtain credit with your information without your knowledge. It requires you to be contacted by the credit reporting companies before credit is given. For instance, if someone tries to open a credit card with your social security number or date of birth, it will be blocked until you personally advise that it is you. It is a small extra step that can save you money and headaches from your identity being stolen. Equifax’ breach is going to have far reaching, devastating consequences. Protect yourself now for free. As always, you can call Kelli Haas & Associates at (615) 567-7300, visit our website at www.khalawgroup.com, or email Kelli directly – mailto:kelli@khalawgroup.com
