Utah's 'Credit Freeze' Legislation Now in Effect
By: State: Utah | Source: aarp.org
Utahns will now have the opportunity to "freeze" their credit report thanks to a state law that went into effect on September 2008. The law allows Utah's consumers to prevent access to their credit report unless they authorize access through the provision of a "PIN" number or password. Without a credit freeze, almost anyone with a stated business purpose—this may include identity thieves—can access a person's credit report and gain access to a person's sensitive financial information, including their Social Security number.
For consumers to place a freeze on their credit reports, they must contact each one of the three major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—and provide their name, date of birth, and Social Security number. It is important to make sure you only secure this service by going to the credit bureau's Web site. The service does require a small fee, but it is free for identity theft victims. If you have been a victim of ID Theft, you may also visit: idtheft.utah.gov/pn.
Experian's website is experian.com, TransUnion's website is transunion.com, and Equifax's website is equifax.com.
Please Note: The credit freeze available to Utahns should not be confused with the credit monitoring services offered by each of the credit bureau, which cost $10–15 per month.
Utah's law requires credit bureaus to lift a freeze within 15 minutes as opposed to the three-day requirement by many other states. This protects both consumers and businesses in protecting the free flow of credit, yet providing consumers with control over their financial information.
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