If you’ve been affected by a data breach or you just want to keep close tabs on your credit history, here’s what you can do.
Request your annual free credit report. You can request reports from the three major consumer credit reporting companies online at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
Look for unfamiliar transactions or accounts. When you get your annual free credit reports, review them for any unfamiliar transactions or accounts. If you find any, you can call the number listed on the credit report or visit the Federal Trade Commission’s webpage.
Freeze your credit files. Freezing your credit can protect you from fraud and identity theft. You can freeze your credit files by placing requests with the credit monitoring agencies:
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or 1-800-685-1111
- Experian: experian.com/help or 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-help or 1-888-909-8872
Temporarily unfreeze your credit as needed. If you want to apply for credit or to enable someone to pull your credit report, you will need to temporarily unfreeze your credit. You can do so by contacting the credit monitoring agencies listed above.
Thanks for taking your security and your credit health seriously.