Freeze: You Have the Right to Remain Protected
By: States: Arizona | Source: AARP.org
Arizona took an important step towards consumer protection by approving a law that allows consumers to request a credit reporting agency to place or lift a security freeze on the consumer’s credit report.
To place a freeze on their credit report, consumers will have to request the freeze in writing. The credit reporting agency will send a written confirmation of the freeze to the consumer within ten business days and will provide the consumer with a personal identification number or password that the consumer may use to release the consumer’s credit report for a specific period of time and remove the security freeze.
The law also requires the bureaus to remove a freeze within 15 minutes of receipt if the request is received over the Internet or phone during regular business hours.
A consumer reporting agency may charge a $5 fee for each freeze, removal of freeze or temporary lift. That is half the $10 fee charged by credit reporting agencies under their current voluntary program. Victims of identity theft will not be charged if they can provide a valid police report.
To place a security freeze on your credit report, you can contact:
• Equifax at 800-685-1111 or http://www.equifax.com
• TransUnion at 800-916-8800 or http://www.tuc.com
• Experian at 888-397-3742 or http://www.experian.com
This law will be in effect as of August 31, 2008.
Share
preview