31 May I’m concerned about ID theft. How can I freeze my credit reports?

Q. You hear so many stories about people having their identities stolen. How can I freeze my credit report?
— Concerned

A. A credit freeze will lock down your credit reports.

It will limit access to your credit information so if anyone applies for credit in your name, they won’t be successful.

A credit freeze can be placed either online or by telephone with the three major credit bureaus:

Experian: (888) 397-3742
Equifax: (800) 349-9960
TransUnion: (888) 909-8872

You will receive a PIN from each firm and you’d have to provide that to remove the freeze, so be sure to store it somewhere that will give you easy access if you want to remove the freeze.

You would do this if you decide to apply for credit in the future. You could temporarily lift the freeze, and then restart it after your credit application is complete.

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This story was originally published on May 31,  2023.

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