State Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, is encouraging customers in Wisconsin to get informed about a new tool in the fight against identity theft, the credit freeze.As of Jan. 1, Wisconsin state residents may put a voluntary freeze on their credit reports making it virtually impossible for fraudulent credit to be extended in their name.
Recently, the Department of Revenue sent out 170,000 Social Security numbers on the outside of tax forms. This is the most recent in a long line of personal data exposures that put consumers at risk all across the country, Fitzgerald, an author of the credit freeze legislation, said.
“By placing a freeze on your credit reports, you have the highest level of security against identity theft available today,” Fitzgerald said. “Identity theft is growing quickly and the schemes are getting more sophisticated. However, with a freeze in place, criminals are severely limited in their monetary fraud options.”
Once in place, a freeze will forbid the credit bureaus from releasing a credit report for any request of new credit. This would apply to whatever thing from attempting to secure a car loan to issuing a new credit card.
Those who wish to place a freeze on their credit reports will need to send a certified letter to each of the three credit bureaus. There will be a $10 fee for each bureau to place, or remove, a credit freeze. Victims of identity theft can place a freeze for free.
Credit bureaus must place the freeze on accounts and send information about removing the freeze and a unique identifier (PIN) within 10 days.
For more information, Wisconsin residents may contact their legislators or the Wisconsin Office of Privacy Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.
The three credit bureaus include Equifax, CSC Credit Services, Security Freeze, P.O. Box 674438, Houston, Texas 77267-4438; Experian, Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, Texas 75013; and TransUnion, TransUnion Security Freeze, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, Calif. 92834-6790.
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