I have created a sample cover letter SecurityFreezeRequest.pdf for use in requesting credit freezes by certified mail with return receipts requested. You can also request a security freeze online, but the three major credit bureaus’ websites are serving up a lot of error messages these days, presumably because 143 million consumers are trying to freeze their credit. If you have been the victim of identity theft, and you have a police report to prove it, the fee is always waived. You can place a security freeze on your credit files by certified mail, return receipt requested, for a $5.00 fee (in Minnesota). However, this extra hassle is nowhere near as time-consuming and painful as the process of disputing and closing credit accounts opened fraudulently in your name that process can take years. It *is* an extra hassle to go through the process of requesting credit freezes, and to “thaw” it temporarily when you need access to your credit report. I have personal experience with identity theft, and with having “frozen” credit. Remember that you will need to contact the credit bureaus again once your application has been processed, in order to reinstate the freezes. Minnesota law requires a credit bureau to temporarily lift a freeze on a consumer credit file within three business days of receiving the request. If you have frozen your credit files, you will need to plan ahead and temporarily unfreeze your files using the passwords that Experian, Equifax, and Transunion provided you when you froze your credit. If you want to apply for a new credit card or auto loan, apply for a new apartment, refinance your mortgage, or if an employer requires access to your credit report for a job application, your prospective creditor/landlord/employer will need to be able to request and receive your credit report in order to consider your application. What if I need access to my credit report after I freeze my credit files? The vast majority of potential creditors won’t approve a new credit application without a credit report. A freeze effectively prevents any new credit accounts from being created in your name because it stops potential creditors from accessing your credit report. In the wake of the massive Equifax data breach, you may be considering placing a security freeze on your credit files with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion).
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