OT: fraud alerts or credit lock

[unterhausen]

I have reason to worry that my wife and I might have problems with someone applying for credit cards in our name(s). Seems like the credit card companies don't really work too hard to stop that from happening, we've seen recent evidence to that, fortunately not involving us. It really looks like locking credit reports or fraud alert is the way to go. Anyone ever do this?

[ftf]

Lock your credit. I have mine locked, and it's pretty easy to unlock if you need it.

[efaust_o]

Did it about 6 years ago through Experian. Got a call in the middle of the night(3am) pretending to be front desk at hotel, gave card number, expiration date, address, phone number, but finally stopped when code on back was requested. I felt I had given too much so I froze my card and used another, then locked account with credit agencies for 3 mos. so no credit could be started. Woke me up for good. The credit card companies I deal with have tightened up as well. My card gets locked quite often. I call and they want to know area and how long till I return home.

[kramnnim]

Credit freeze, all three bureaus. http://www.clark.com/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide

[Richard]

Go here to stop unsolicited credit card offers which can also be used to establish credit in your name www.optoutprescreen.com

[bikinchris]

Did it about 6 years ago through Experian. Got a call in the middle of the night(3am) pretending to be front desk at hotel, gave card number, expiration date, address, phone number, but finally stopped when code on back was requested. I felt I had given too much so I froze my card and used another, then locked account with credit agencies for 3 mos. so no credit could be started. Woke me up for good. The credit card companies I deal with have tightened up as well. My card gets locked quite often. I call and they want to know area and how long till I return home.

If the "Hotel clerk" asks for that information, I would have told them, I will be right down, thank you.

[unterhausen]

I don't give out credit card information over the phone, ever. I wish my credit card company had one-time use numbers, but they don't. Seems simple enough.

I guess someone may run a credit check on us soon, we should probably ask them, but after that we'll just lock it. No big loans needed

[93legendti]

I have reason to worry that my wife and I might have problems with someone applying for credit cards in our name(s). Seems like the credit card companies don't really work too hard to stop that from happening, we've seen recent evidence to that, fortunately not involving us. It really looks like locking credit reports or fraud alert is the way to go. Anyone ever do this?

I have several cards and 2 of the companies worked very hard to stop the above from happening and told me about locking my credit.

So I guess it depends upon the company.

My credit is locked.

If you're not happy with your cc company there are cc companies giving you up to 50,000 points to swirch to them.

[unterhausen]

I'm not really worried about my credit card company, three are loads of skeezy ones out there that I don't know. This time of year in State College, there are people standing on College Ave. trying to get students to sign up for credit cards. And plenty do, just to get a t-shirt.

[allezdude]

you need to file a police report that you identity was stolen if you want a more permanent fraud indicator (can't remember the term) on your credit. not sure how that compares to the credit freeze.

look at the ftc website

[efaust_o]

I'm not really worried about my credit card company, three are loads of skeezy ones out there that I don't know. This time of year in State College, there are people standing on College Ave. trying to get students to sign up for credit cards. And plenty do, just to get a t-shirt.

Unter, call one of the three credit agencies, or better go on line(I used Experian). It's been awhile but best I remember just because it's locked doesn't mean you can not get credit approval. I think there are different levels of being secured(locked). One i believe was they just call you to verify and for that specific approval it is unlocked(accessed).

[palincss]

I have reason to worry that my wife and I might have problems with someone applying for credit cards in our name(s). Seems like the credit card companies don't really work too hard to stop that from happening, we've seen recent evidence to that, fortunately not involving us. It really looks like locking credit reports or fraud alert is the way to go. Anyone ever do this?

Yes. Lock your credit. Do it now. It's a minor irritant to temporarily unlock it for a credit check if you're buying a car of something of that sort, but it will prevent people from getting credit in your name. I've also had a fraud alert.

I was among the names in the first OPM compromise, and a few days after that was announced I learned someone had applied for a Verizon cell phone account in my name, and in one day racked up over $1300 worth of charges, mainly calls to Jamaica. It took the best part of a year to get that resolved; even though Verizon itself said it was definitely fraud, in writing, twice, they still kept billing me and even sent it to collection agencies twice.

A fraud alert also revealed that someone had sent in a change of address for me, replacing my address with a PO box in Georgia that was already known as being associated with frauds.

But the freeze stopped everything dead.