SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One way criminals steal money is by opening new credit accounts in someone else's name. If you think someone has your personal information, you can use credit freezes, credit locks or fraud alerts to help protect you from fraud. However, credit freezes and credit locks don't completely block access to your credit reports or FICO® Scores.
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Credit Freezes vs. Credit Locks vs. Fraud Alerts
Credit freezes, locks and alerts are all protective measures, but each option works differently:
- Credit freezes: Credit freezes, also called security freezes, limit access to your credit reports. You can add and remove freezes for free at any time, but you need to manage your credit freezes at each of the bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) separately.
- Credit locks: Limit access to your credit reports, similar to credit freezes. But credit locks are generally a feature that comes with a free or paid account at one of the credit bureaus.
- Fraud alerts: A fraud alert doesn't limit access to your credit report. Instead, it tells creditors that you may be a victim of identity theft and that they should take extra steps to verify your identity before opening a new account. You can add a fraud alert to one of your credit reports and the bureau will forward your request to the other two.
Credit freezes and locks are two options that limit who can access your credit report.
When your credit report is frozen or locked, the bureau won't release it to creditors that are making lending decisions. The creditor might automatically deny the application if it can't see your credit history or get a FICO® Score based on the report — even if you're the one applying.
As a result, credit freezes and locks can protect you from fraudulent applications. But you'll also want to unfreeze or unlock your reports before submitting a legitimate application. It's often a quick and easy process, and you can unfreeze the reports temporarily and then automatically refreeze the reports to keep yourself protected.
Who Can Access Your Frozen or Locked Credit Reports?
Although credit freezes and locks limit access to your credit reports, the credit bureaus can still send your report and FICO® Score to certain individuals and organizations. These include:
- You: You can always check your own credit reports and FICO® Scores.
- Your current creditors: Your lenders and card issuers can also continue to check your credit, which they might do to help manage your account. For example, your card issuer might increase your credit card's credit limit if it notices your FICO® Score improved.
- Certain government officials: Government agencies and employees might still be able to see your credit report in specific situations, such as when there's a court order, warrant or subpoena.
- Landlords: A landlord or property management company might want to check your credit and FICO® Score before offering you a rental home or setting your security deposit amount.
- Insurance companies: In some states, insurance companies can review credit reports and credit-based insurance scores to help determine who to offer policies to and the premiums to charge.
- Telecom and utility providers: Your credit history and FICO® Score may also affect your options when you want to get a new phone or utility account.
- Employers: Employers can sometimes check someone's credit report before offering them a job or promotion. However, employment and background screening reports don't come with FICO® Scores.
- Other companies that aren't making lending decisions: Companies may also access frozen credit reports for identity verification, debt collection and marketing purposes. However, you can opt out of getting preapproved credit offers from companies at OptOutPrescreen.com.
Regardless of whether your credit report is frozen, only people and organizations who have a legally defined permissible purpose can get copies of your credit reports.
Is Freezing Your Credit Worth It?
Freezing your credit won't completely block access to your credit report or FICO® Score, and you'll need to remember to unfreeze your reports before applying for a new credit card or loan. But it's still a free and easy way to help protect yourself from credit fraud. Additionally, you can freeze your reports at other consumer reporting agencies to help protect yourself from other types of fraud.
And even when your reports are frozen, you can still get and monitor your FICO® Score from FICO for free.
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