North
Carolina veterans concerned that their personal information was among
the data stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee should be able to seal
their credit records for free, say consumer advocates.
The N.C. Public Interest Research Group is urging veterans to use the state's Identity Theft Protection Act.
Passed
last year, the act gives consumers the right to freeze their credit to
prevent theft. A freeze can block thieves from opening new accounts or
getting credit in your name.
However,
consumers must pay $30 to freeze their credit with all three credit
bureaus unless identity theft has already taken place and the victim
has filed a report with the police.
NCPIRG
and Attorney General Roy Cooper said Tuesday that in light of the
security breach, veterans should be exempt from paying the fees.
"This
is a massive breach with Social Security numbers that are now floating
around," said Rob Thompson of NCPIRG. "If someone gets this
information, they can basically create a new you, and that can be
extremely hard for consumers to fix."
To freeze your credit
Send a letter by certified mail to each of the three bureaus and include:
* Full name, including middle initial and any suffix, such as "Jr."
* Home addresses for the past five years
* Social Security number and date of birth
* Two proofs of residence
* Police or DMV report if you're a victim of identity theft
*
$10 payment by check, money order, or credit card (with card name,
account number and expiration date). Note that TransUnion accepts
credit cards only.
Other options
If
you choose not to freeze your credit, you can place a fraud alert with
all three bureaus. This will generally ensure they contact you if
anyone tries to open a credit account under your name. However, the
alert request is no guarantee of protection against identity theft.
Each of the three bureaus will send a report after your fraud alert request.
* Close any accounts that have been tampered with.
* File a police report.
* File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
