Alternative Options for Protecting Your Identity After the Equifax Breach

Credit Lockout
 

As part of our ongoing efforts to help keep your personal information as safe as possible, we want to remind you to stay on the lookout for the many security threats making the rounds in cyberspace today.

 

As you may be aware, Equifax has offered the public one free year of its identity theft protection service, TrustedID Premier, in the wake of the credit bureau’s massive data breach. Unfortunately, many users have been experiencing technical issues with the enrollment process.

 

If you’re looking for other ways to take action to protect your identity, you may want to consider these alternative options:

 

  • An initial or extended fraud alert: Placing this on your credit file can make it harder for identity thieves to open accounts in your name, requiring businesses to verify your identity before issuing credit. Fraud alerts are free.

  • A credit freeze: This prevents anyone from opening a new line of credit in your name. This is more proactive than a fraud alert but could restrict your access to your own credit. Placing or removing a freeze may involve you paying a fee, depending on your state.

  • Identity theft protection services: These services offer valuable tools to help protect your identity, such as real-time credit monitoring, customized account alerts, and 24/7 live support. A subscription fee is charged for these services.

 

Please note: Any of these options may be used in conjunction with one another.

 

For more guidance on identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) Identity Theft page. For updates from Equifax, go to equifaxsecurity2017.com.

 

Rest assured that we are always concerned about information security. If you have any questions, please call us at (401) 434-8090.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

The Sowa Financial Group Team