As you may have seen in our social media posts, October is Cyber Awareness Month. In keeping with our intention to keep our clients informed, it’s very important for us to assist you in helping to grow in your understanding of how to identify potentially dangerous emails.
One of the risks many of us often encounter is identify theft. Understand, there is no guaranteed method to truly prevent identity theft. There are too many holes in the system and they rely on bureaucratic industries to be able to move at a faster pace than technology, which is a near impossible task. One of the best ways to stay ahead, for yourselves, is by enacting a credit freeze.
A credit freeze prevents any new lines of credit from being opened in your name, since there is no access to your credit reporting. There used to be a fee to freeze/unfreeze your credit, but that fee is universally rescinded thanks to a recent law.
As “backlash” of the Equifax breach, the process is now free and can also be implemented for anyone who oversees a minor under the age of 16. You must file a separate freeze with each of the three credit bureaus:
Online: Equifax Freeze Page
By phone: 800-685-1111
By Mail: Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5788
Online: Experian
By phone: 888-397-3742
By Mail: Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
Online: TransUnion
By Phone: 888-909-8872
By Mail: TransUnion LLC
P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016
