UPDATE: Equifax Extends Free Credit Freezes

Announced January 29th: Equifax is extending free credit freezes through June 30th.

In wake of the September data breach compromising nearly 145 million U.S. consumers, Equifax offered free credit freezes through January 31st. Just two days prior to the end date, Equifax announced they would continue to offer free credit freezes though June 30, 2018.

What is a credit freeze?

A credit freeze prevents anyone from accessing your credit report. As a result, you can’t be approved for new loans, credit cards, and mortgages until the freeze is lifted. If a scammer attempts to misuse your information and open a fraudulent account, they are unlikely to be approved.

While freezing your credit can prevent someone from opening new accounts, it cannot prevent your identity from being stolen. Monitoring your credit and personal information are crucial to protecting yourself.

Take these steps to protect yourself:

• Set alerts with the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to get notified of fraud on your accounts.
• Regularly reset your financial account login information.
• Review all account statements and credit reports diligently.
• Watch out for fake emails or websites asking for personal information (phishing scams).
• Set up and manage spending alerts in Online Banking.
• Report any suspicious activity to us or your other financial institution(s) and IdentityTheft.gov.
• Monitor your personal information and credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Enroll in a credit monitoring service