The University of Phoenix Informational Website
On request, any of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies can place a free fraud alert in your file to alert potential creditors that you may be a victim of identity theft; a fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you.
A fraud alert will help prevent someone from opening new accounts in your name. As soon as one credit reporting bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are automatically notified to place fraud alerts as well. All three bureaus will mail you a confirmation letter and you will be able to order complimentary credit reports for your review.
The easiest way to place an alert is by visiting www.transunion.com or https://fraud.transunion.com/fa/fraudAlert.
You will answer some questions to confirm your identity, and then a 90-day fraud alert will be added to your credit file. TransUnion will give you access to view your report online. You should examine it carefully for accuracy. TransUnion will also share this information with Equifax and Experian who will both mail you confirmation letters containing a number to call to order complimentary copies of your credit reports for review.
To contact one of the credit reporting bureaus, please see below:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
PO Box 740260
Atlanta, GA 30374
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
PO Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
It is only necessary to contact one of these bureaus and use one of these methods.
You will not be charged for this service. Please note placing a fraud alert may delay your ability to open new lines of credit quickly.
Whether or not you choose to enroll in the IDX identity protection program, you can order a copy of your credit report, for free, once a year from each credit reporting bureau. You can obtain a free credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
When you receive any credit report, you should review it carefully. Look for accounts you did not open. Look for inquiries from creditors that you did not initiate. Look for personal information, such as home address, employment or Social Security numbers, that are not accurate. If you see anything you do not understand, call the credit reporting bureau at the telephone number on the report.
If your credit report indicates fraud or identity theft, call your local police or sheriff’s office and file a report of identity theft. Get a copy of the police report. You may need to give copies of the police report to creditors to clear up your records. If you suspect that you may be a victim of identity theft and you have enrolled in the IDX identity protection program, you should contact them immediately. You will be able to speak with a knowledgeable advocate about your situation and, if needed, they will open a case to resolve the identity theft on your behalf.
Should you wish to learn more about identity theft and how to protect yourself, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-438-4338. The FTC website, www.consumer.ftc.gov, also offers additional information on identity theft that you may find helpful.
You have the right to put a security freeze on your credit file at no cost. This will prevent new credit from being opened in your name without the use of a PIN number that is issued to you when you initiate the freeze. A security freeze is designed to prevent potential creditors from accessing your credit report without your consent. As a result, using a security freeze may interfere with or delay your ability to obtain credit. You must separately place a security freeze on your credit file with each credit reporting agency. In order to place a security freeze, you may be required to provide the consumer reporting agency with information that identifies you including your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, current and previous addresses, a copy of your state-issued identification card, and a recent utility bill, bank statement or insurance statement. In addition, in some cases, a credit freeze may interfere with the credit monitoring activation, in which case you may need to temporarily lift the freeze to complete credit monitoring activation.