Posts Tagged ‘Credit Freeze’
Can I freeze a child’s credit report?
From the Office of Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey
With the rise in identity theft, many parents are wondering if they can place the same type of “security freeze” on their child’s credit file as they can on their own. Good question. The answer is – Sometimes.
A parent or legal guardian can, in fact, freeze a child’s file – if a file exists. But hopefully, a child doesn’t have a credit file to freeze. A credit file is only created when there is a request for a new credit relationship, such as a credit card. One way to make sure a child has not been the victim of identity theft is to make frequent requests for free credit reports under the child’s name and SSN from www.annualcreditreport.com. If the credit agencies are unable to process the request – most likely, no file exists. Good News!
If a credit report exists for a child, it is almost certainly an indication of fraud. In that case, the parent or legal guardian can place a security freeze on the child’s credit file. The individual will have to provide proof that they are the parent or legal guardian and that fraud has occurred. Also, a police report should be filed with a local law enforcement agency.
A credit bureau cannot create a file for a child if a file does not already exist.
Freeze Your Credit File in 2010
From The Denver District Attorney’s Office:
Perhaps you intended to put a freeze on your credit files, but somehow the decade just got away from you. Start 2010 off right by freezing your file – its free!
A freeze prevents the 3 credit agencies from sharing your credit information with potential creditors which can help prevent ID theft. If your credit files are frozen, a crook or anyone else who has your Social Security number will be unable to get credit in your name. The freeze does not affect your current credit relationships – only new relationships.
Placing a security freeze:
- Requests must be in writing and sent by certified mail to each of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies:
- Equifax Security Freeze: P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348 – www.equifax.com
- Experian Security Freeze: P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 – www.experian.com
- TransUnion Security Freeze: P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 – www.transunion.com
You must include:
- Full name
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Current address and previous addresses for the past two years
- Copy of a government issued ID
- Copy of a utility bill or recent billing statement that displays your name, current mailing address, and date of issue.
When you freeze your files, you will receive a unique PIN from each of the agencies as well as instructions on how to temporarily or permanently lift the freeze. Each agency will charge you $10.00 to lift the freeze.
