Equifax launched an apology tour for its massive data breach, offering its customers the ability to lock and unlock their credit for free and for life.
Unfortunately, hackers often target consumers to commit credit fraud and identity theft. That’s why the Equifax team also offers bundled services with identity theft protection included. Its identity theft features include a credit report lock and identity restoration services. Identifying and Disputing...
a process that blocks identity thieves and others from looking at private details in your consumer credit history. If you’ve been holding out because you’re not particularly worried about ID theft, here’s another reason to reconsider: The credit bureaus profit from selling copies of your file...
"It's like the guards at Fort Knox forgot to lock the doors and failed to notice thieves emptying the vaults." Smith said he would expect Equifax to "cooperate" with "particular legislation that arises out of this horrific breach." The former CEO's appearance Tuesday marks the first in...
Can I still apply for a loan or a new line of credit with a credit freeze?Yes, but you’ll have to unfreeze (thaw) your credit temporarily. See the information above for how to do that. What’s the difference between a credit freeze and a credit lock?There’s a big difference. A...
However, freeze fees could soon be a thing of the past. A provision included in a bill passed by theU.S. Senateon March 14 would require credit-reporting firms to let consumers place a freeze without paying (the measure is awaiting action in the House of Representatives). ...
Equifax has tried to make changes, replacing its CEO, as well as spending millions to research and rectify the breach. In January, it launched a service that allows consumers to lock and unlock their credit report. But a test of the site by The New York Times found it unusable in many ...
, ‘cause your social security number is one of the worst things to lose. So if someone steals your credit card number, or your username, or your password, that's like they stole the key to the front door of your house. It's a pain, but you just change the lock and you're fine...
"A credit freeze will lock the criminals out of opening financial accounts in your name, but there are other types of identity theft. And that includes medical, criminal and governmental," Velasquez said. At first, Equifax was charging hack victims a fee for freezing their accounts. But after...
Credit card performance is generally a good indication of consumers’ financial health. The lockdowns in early 2020 drove down credit card spending, which returned to normal levels by the end of the year. The fact that credit card balances have fallen indicates the i...