Protect Your Identity

1. The best way to protect your identity is to lock your credit report. If you are a California resident (or a resident of several other states), you can lock your credit report so that nobody new can obtain your credit report until you unlock it. This prevents anyone from stealing your identity and opening new credit cards or loans using your credit.

I have included a sample letter to each of the credit agencies requesting a freeze at the end of this post.

2. Get a free copy of your credit report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/. Request a report from 1 of the 3 major bureaus every four months, i.e. Experian in January, Trans Union in May, Equifax in September. Repeat each year. That way, you’ll get a credit report every four months for free. Read your report carefully and dispute any information that is incorrect.

Avoid www.freecreditreport.com, which is actually a independent business that signs you up for a credit monitoring service when you get your "free" credit report.

2. Get the CLUE report for your home and auto once per year. www.choicetrust.com. The CLUE report is used by insurance companies to determine your auto and home insurance rates, so make sure it is correct.

3. Call 888 5OPT OUT (888 567 8688) and request to be opted-out of pre-approved offers of credit. Many cases of identity theft arise because these pre-approved credit offers are intercepted and activated by someone other than the intended recipient.

4. Write to DMA Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. Send your name and address and request to be opted-out of all direct mail advertising.

5. Call Experian at 402 458 5247 and ask to be opted out from telemarketing and direct mail marketing.

6. Call all of your credit card companies, banks, and utilities (phone, electric, gas, etc.) and instruct them to not share your personal information with anyone for any reason. Instruct them not to use your information to telemarket or direct mail market. Ask credit card companies not to send convenience checks with your bill.

Read these articles for more information:

http://www.cpsr.org/issues/privacy/JunkMail/view?searchterm=get%20less%20junk%20mail

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs1-surv.htm

And check out this web-site:

www.privacyrights.org

*******SECURITY FREEZE LETTERS TO EACH CREDIT BUREAU******

DATE


VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Equifax
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348

Re: Security Freeze Request
Name: **
Address: **
Date of Birth: **
Social Security Number: **

Dear Sir:

I am a California resident. I request that a security freeze be placed on my credit file. The information you require to place a freeze is contained above, in the “re:” line of this letter.

I have also enclosed a check for the $10.00 security freeze fee.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at YOUR **TELEPHONE NUMBER

Sincerely,



**YOUR NAME

DATE


VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013

Re: Security Freeze Request
Name: **
Mailing Address: **
Date of Birth: **
Social Security Number: **
Previous Addresses (last two years): **

Dear Sir:

I am a California resident. I request that a security freeze be placed on my credit file. The information you require to place a freeze is contained above, in the “re:” line of this letter.

I have also enclosed copies of two telephone bills verifying my current mailing address and a check for the $10.00 security freeze fee.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at **.

Sincerely,



**

DATE


VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Trans Union
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Re: Security Freeze Request
Name: **
Address: **
Social Security Number: **

Credit Card Number: **
Expiration Date: **
Dear Sir:

I am a California resident. I request that a security freeze be placed on my credit file. The information you require to place a freeze is contained above, in the “re:” line of this letter. Please charge the fee to the credit card number stated above.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at **.

Sincerely,



**