As a follow-up to my email last week about the Equifax credit bureau breach, I received several calls and emails asking what specific actions I took personally, and so I thought I’d share that at large. There was also a duplicated link for one of the bureaus and that is corrected in this email, and I’ve added the link to freeze your record with the fourth smaller credit bureau, Innovis.
If you read my email last weekend, you may recall that my information compromised but my wife’s was not. Just to be cautious, I did put a credit freeze on each of our records with all four credit bureaus. I also signed up for Equifax’s free TrustedID Premier plan, although with a freeze in place, that may have been superfluous. I tried to add a freeze on my daughter’s record, but that was not an easy option for a minor and will likely add this protection for her credit record on her 18th birthday next year.
Here are links to freeze your credit record, if you are so inclined, with the four bureaus:
Equifax – https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
Experian – https://www.experian.com/ncaconline/freeze
TransUnion – https://freeze.transunion.com/sf/securityFreeze/landingPage.jsp
Innovis – https://www.innovis.com/securityFreeze/index
In both attempts with TransUnion, it required a phone call and here is their number just in case you’d rather skip the online attempt: 888-909-8872 With two of the bureaus I received or was able to set the PIN right away; in the other two cases, they said it would be mailed to me. There was no cost for any of the bureaus, although this may vary by state of residency. Click here for information on costs by state.
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any questions.