Freeze identity theft now

Since Sept. 1, 2007 Texans now have another layer of protection for their personal identities, said a Texas Cooperative Extension expert. As of that date, all residents of the Lone Star State will be able to request a security freeze on their credit reports, said Dr. Joyce Cavanagh, Extension family economics specialist. Until that date, only victims of identity theft can request that protection.

A security freeze on your personal credit report prevents creditors from accessing your information as long as the freeze is in effect, she said.

"If (identity thieves) have your name and Social Security number, and you have a security freeze on your account, they will be unable to open any accounts in your name," Cavanagh said.

Establishing a security freeze on personal information takes a little time and money, but could be worth the effort, she said.

According to Consumers Union, as of Sept. 1, "Any consumer in Texas may request a security freeze in writing by certified mail to the credit reporting agency."

The certified letter should contain: name (including middle initial and any designation such as Sr., Jr. or III), address, Social Security number, date of birth, residential addresses for the past five years, proof of current address (such as a utility or phone bill), photocopy of a government-issued identification card such as driver's license or military identification. A $10 fee payable to each of the credit reporting bureaus - for a total of $30 - is payable by check, money order or credit card. The fee is waived for victims of identity theft, who should also enclose a copy of a report of the incident.

The addresses of the three credit reporting bureaus are:

• Equifax Security Freeze: P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, Ga. 30348.

• Experian Security Freeze: P.O. Box 9554, Allen, Texas 75013.

• Trans Union Security Freeze: P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, Calif. 92834-6790.

"The freeze takes effect five business days from when the credit bureau receives your request," Cavanagh said. "Within 10 days you will get a confirmation letter with an identification number or password. Keep this safe where you know where it is. In order to have the security freeze lifted, you need to know your identification number or password."

The request needs to be sent to each of the three bureaus, she said, not just to one of them. That means a total of $30 and three letters.

While the freeze is in effect, your credit report "can still be released to your existing creditors or to collection agencies acting on their own behalf,"according to Consumers Union.

If you want to open a new account, you can elect to lift the freeze for one specific creditor at a cost of $12; lifting a freeze for all creditors costs $10 at each agency, Cavanagh said.

Lifting a security freeze takes three business days from when the credit reporting agency receives your request.

For more information visit the Consumers Union Web site at http://www.consumersunion. org. Type "Security Freeze" into the search field and click on the search link.

For more information on family economics visit Extension's Family and Consumer Sciences Web site at http://fcs.tamu. edu/ and click on the link to "Money."