#Equifax lift freeze by phone free#

If you think a credit reporting agency is not placing a credit freeze or fraud alert properly, you can submit a complaint online or by calling 85. Credit Bureau ContactsĬontact the national credit bureaus to request fraud alerts, credit freezes (also known as security freezes), and opt outs from pre‑screened credit offers. You also can find links to their websites at /CreditBureauContacts. The one that you contact must notify the other two, unlike the credit freeze where you must contact all three credit reporting agencies. You can place a fraud alert or active duty alert by visiting any one of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. The active duty alert also gives you an added benefit: the credit reporting agencies will take your name off their marketing lists for prescreened credit card offers for two years (unless you ask them to add you back on). You’ll still have access to active duty alerts, which let you place a fraud alert for one year, renewable for the time you’re deployed. If you’re in the military, you have an additional option.

#Equifax lift freeze by phone free#

Fraud alerts will still be free and identity theft victims can still get an extended fraud alert for seven years. Starting September 21, 2018, when you place a fraud alert, it will last one year, instead of 90 days.

Year-long fraud alertsĪ fraud alert tells businesses that check your credit that they should check with you before opening a new account. If you want a free freeze guaranteed by federal law, then opt for a freeze, not a lock. They work in a similar way, but locks may have monthly fees. You also can lift the freeze temporarily without a fee.ĭon’t confuse freezes with locks. If you make your request by mail, the agency must place or lift the freeze within three business days after it gets your request. If you request a lift of the freeze, the agency must lift it within one hour. If you request a freeze online or by phone, the agency must place the freeze within one business day. How will these freezes work? Contact all three of the nationwide credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. And if you are someone’s guardian or conservator or have a valid power of attorney, you can get a free freeze for that person, too. You also can get a free freeze for your children who are under 16. Starting September 21, 2018, you can freeze and unfreeze your credit file for free. Security freezes, also known as credit freezes, restrict access to your credit file, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Here’s what you should know: Free credit freezes Free credit freezes and year-long fraud alerts are here, starting September 21 st, thanks to a new federal law.