I was just reading my backhome news online.
And...........
Starting tomorrow, Rhode Island consumers will be able to place a “security freeze” on their credit files, a step that should help combat identity theft. (For a small fee, free if your over 65.)


http://www.projo.com/news/content/BZ....2ce11b0.html#

They give a website where you can check to see if your state ( about 25 states ) has a law like RI. CA has had this law since 2003. Where have I been ?! I'm signing up.


http://www.consumersunion.org/campai...3484indiv.html

We froze ours two years ago when DH identity was stolen. Be careful though, to verify anything, the credit bureau must call you at your home phone number. We were trying to buy a new car and pay cash. I warned the dealer about not checking the credit, etc. Well, although we had a cashiers check for the whole amount they checked the credit. The credit bureau called us at home within minutes and of course we were not home, we were at the dealer.

I finally convinced the dealer to take our money! Geesh, what a hassle! Anyway, the freeze went away after one year and we've not had any more trouble, thank goodness.

Paulette

Yes they warn you to plan ahead.

"If you put a security freeze in place, make sure you lift the freeze before you go hunting for credit. In other words, plan ahead. You can lift the freeze for a specific lender, or have the freeze lifted completely to give a number of lenders access."



"If you tell a credit-reporting company to place a security freeze on your credit file, the company can’t release information in that file to lenders.

Because most lenders won’t issue credit without first looking at your credit file, freezing the file can prevent identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name.

“The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent,” state law says.

Michelle Jun, a staff lawyer for Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes Consumer Reports, said that a security freeze “is one of the most useful tools for consumers to utilize … to protect themselves” against identity theft. "