this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2024
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Go ahead, steal my identity. See if you have any better luck with it.
I keep all my credit reports frozen. These days, everyone should.
Keep in mind there are 4 providers now, not 3!
Oh? Who’s the new one?
ETA: I got woosh’d, didn’t I? I just came off night shift and it’s not even 8AM. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
There are actually more than 3 providers and you should put a freeze on everything you can. You only need unfrozen credit for applying for new lines of credit (loans, credit cards, etc), and unfreezing is a quick process (15 minutes or so).
Here’s a pretty comprehensive guide for protecting yourself: https://old.reddit.com/r/IdentityTheft/comments/uvv3ij/psa_freezing_your_three_main_credit_reports_is/
It’s better to take these steps before you get your identity stolen rather than after. These steps can prevent your leaked information from being used against you.
Seems like this post is two years old at this point. Is it still valid?
Even if some of the information is outdated, although I believe it’s all still valid, the main points / TL;DR are absolutely relevant. It’s unlikely that the main bureaus will change, and although the exact steps for freezing may change over time, the emphasis on freezing is important.
makes sense, thanks