Here's how to freeze your credit after the healthcare data breach change

I thought freeze my credit weeks before I did it. As a personal finance editor who covers identity theft, I knew this would happen make it more difficult for cybercriminals to open a new credit account in my name – but it would also involve a few extra steps to do the same.

When you freeze your credit, you must perform the freeze or ‘defrost’ manually in each of the settings three major credit bureaus when you want to apply for a new credit card, car loan or mortgage.

The process of freezing your credit isn’t that simple either. It involves signing up for individual accounts with Equifax, TransUnion and Experian and manually freezing your credit online, by phone or by mail.

But there are two benefits that sold me on it. First of all, freezing your credit is completely free. And second, you get peace of mind knowing you’ve neutralized a key tool in the identity thieves’ playbook.

Why I froze my credit reports

Data breaches are more common than you think, across multiple industry sectors. And chances are your data has been compromised at least once.

Only this year, Ticketmaster And AT&T reported data breaches impacting millions of customers. A hack of a background search company National public data also compromised the personal data of hundreds of millions of other people.

We also learned this month that a February cyber attack on Change Healthcare has affected the lives of 100 million people, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to social security numbers, hackers mainly gained access to medical records. But if you’re worried about opening new credit accounts in your name, a credit freeze can give you peace of mind.

I’ve noticed an increase in the number of scam messages I receive on my phone and in my email inbox since the beginning of this year. Most were easy enough to track down, but some were fairly well researched.

I have received several messages asking for ribs and even offering me new job opportunities. The barrage of messages, calls, and emails made me think that at any given moment—while I was distracted or in a hurry to get back to my desk for my next meeting—I could fall victim to a scam that could lead to identity theft.

Freezing my credit is one of the best ways to protect your data and money, but it’s not foolproof. Fraudsters and identity thieves can still access my personal information via

existing accounts. I can limit the damage.

How I froze my credit with TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian

When you freeze your credit, you must do so with each of the three major credit bureaus. That requires setting up accounts with each account – a process that took about 30 minutes online. You will generally be asked for the same information: your name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Next, you will need to complete two-factor authentication via SMS or email.

TransUnion and Equifax have special tabs available on your dashboard that allow you to freeze your credit after you create an account. A few clicks and I was done.

Experian makes this option a little harder to find. After some clicking around, I found two ways to activate a free security lock.

You can hover and click over ‘credit’ on your dashboard Experian Credit Lock — Experian’s paid offering that’s similar to a credit freeze but instantly locks your credit report, among other features. On that page you will see the free option “freeze security”.

You can also scroll to the bottom of the page while logged in and click Experian Credit Lock to go to the same page. All three credit bureaus will confirm your credit freeze via email.

If you don’t want to create online accounts, you can call any credit bureau to freeze your credit. Here are the numbers for each:

TransUnion – 800-916-8800
Equifax – (888) 298-0045
Experian – 888-397-3742

After you apply for a credit freeze, each agency must freeze your credit within one business day. When you need to unfreeze your credit, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax are required to unfreeze your credit within one hour. It can take up to three working days by post before your credit is blocked and released again.

Freezing your credit won’t solve all your identity theft concerns

Setting up the credit freeze was simple enough. But I’m not going to tell you that it is useful to have your credit frozen. Here are some disadvantages to consider:

Every time you open a new account, you must release your funds

If you think about it apply for a new credit cardlooking for your first house or consider getting one new car loanit is best to wait until after you have opened the account before freezing your credit.

Freezing your credit prevents cybercriminals or identity thieves from opening new credit accounts in your name. But it also holds you back. To open a new credit account, you will need to log into your accounts or contact each of the three credit bureaus and temporarily unfreeze your credit.

False sense of security

Freezing your credit is a good step toward protecting your identity, but it can still be stolen.

You might consider signing up for one identity theft protection service. Individual plans typically start between $7 and $15, depending on the level of financial and identity monitoring desired. With an identity theft protection plan, you can check your credit, bank accounts, and the dark web for you or your family’s personally identifiable information, or PII.

Alternatively, you can take advantage of the free tools at your disposal. Check your monthly credit card And bank statements. Also view your medical claims history online and on your computer credit report. You can download your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Freeze your credit and protect your sensitive data.

It does not stop spam messages

Unfortunately, if scammers have your phone number or email address, you can’t stop attempts to scam you out of money on your existing accounts.

It is best to block phone numbers and email addresses from unknown senders whenever you receive a strange message. Also, take a moment to read messages carefully before clicking on a link.

It will not put an end to new credit offers

Freezing your credit also won’t eliminate the spam email and pre-screened offers you receive. Credit freezes are intended to prevent this hard questions about your creditsuch as lease applications or applying for a student loan. You can still expect offers from credit card companies, insurance companies and more.

Financial institutions with which you already have a relationship and collection agencies can also view your credit. Under special circumstances, this also applies to federal, state and local government.

Credit monitoring companies like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame can still provide you with your current credit scores.

You still need good password hygiene

Even if your funds are frozen, you should still practice good password hygiene. Make sure you don’t use the same login details on multiple sites. Using the same login credentials is a common tactic used by cybercriminals.

If keeping track of your passwords becomes overwhelming, consider paying for one password manager. CNET recommends Bitwarden.

It does not protect your bank account information

Even if you freeze your credit, it’s still your responsibility to protect your bank account information from scammers.

If you accidentally provide account numbers or login information to cybercriminals, contact your bank immediately and change your password.

Ultimately, I’m glad I froze my credit

There are pros and cons to freezing your credit. But since I don’t plan on opening a new account anytime soon, it was worth it for me. I also feel safer after doing it. It’s nice to know I disrupted a cybercriminal’s plans.

Of course, the spam messages keep pouring in. But I’m okay with being the gatekeeper of my financial accounts. I make it a habit to check my bank and credit card statements regularly.

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