Your Equifax credit report can be locked or frozen to prevent unauthorized parties from accessing it. You can still view your credit report at any other credit bureau even if you lock or freeze your Equifax credit report. Your Equifax credit report may still be accessible to the following entities:
Equifax keeps track of customers’ credit reports and gives information to specific clients, such as lenders and credit card companies, so that they can make pre-approved offers to customers as allowed by law. Customers who would rather not receive these offers can go to www optoutprescreen. com, or call toll free at 1-888-5-OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688). Additionally, customers can write to Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. O. Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374-0123. Customers must sign their name, complete address, Social Security number, and complete name. Equifax will share the request with the other two national consumer reporting agencies and remove the customer’s name from its pre-approved offer database.
Reasons for Freezing Your Credit
A credit freeze, also referred to as a security freeze, prevents creditors, lenders, and other parties from accessing your credit report. In the event that someone needs to verify your credit—for example, if you’re purchasing a car and need to obtain an auto loan—you will need to remove the credit freeze and grant the creditor access to your credit report. A credit freeze helps prevent identity thieves from creating fraudulent accounts in your name without your knowledge because credit agencies need access to your credit report in order to grant credit.
For a variety of reasons, people might freeze their credit. Some do it after having suffered fraud or identity theft. Some people do it to feel better about themselves after learning that information they supplied to a company, like Social Security numbers or credit card details, was compromised in a hacking incident. Some take it as a preventative step to safeguard their children or themselves. (Parents under the age of sixteen may freeze their child’s credit report; in the event that the minor lacks a credit report, credit bureaus may create one and subsequently freeze it.) ).
Why You Need to Check Your Credit Report Even if You Have a Security Freeze
Putting a freeze on your credit is a good way to safeguard your excellent credit. Nevertheless, a credit freeze does not give you the green light to stop monitoring your credit report. Even with a security freeze in place, you still need to regularly check your credit report in order to maintain a good credit score.
A credit freeze can stop fraudsters from creating new accounts in your name, but it doesn’t stop them from using the accounts you already have fraudulently, so why is this necessary? For instance, if your credit is frozen, a thief cannot open a new credit card in your name, but they can still access your current credit card information and use it to make unauthorized purchases. Since this kind of fraud is more common than creating new accounts, it’s crucial to be aware of it.
How to Check Your Credit Report When You Have a Credit Freeze
Fortunately, you can check your credit report without having to lift your credit freeze. Even with a credit freeze in place, people are legally permitted to view their own credit report. To obtain a free credit report, simply follow the same steps as if your credit wasn’t frozen.
Notify the credit bureaus as soon as you notice anything questionable on your credit report, such as inquiries from strange companies, so they can take the necessary action to fix the problem. If required, you might want to take further precautions to safeguard your credit, like locking or adding a fraud alert to your credit report.
Even with a frozen credit file, you can safeguard your credit reputation by monitoring it closely. To get started, get your free Experian credit report.
Keep track of your most recent credit information and obtain your free FICO® Score.
No credit card required
FAQ
Can you run a credit check if credit is frozen?
Fortunately, you can check your credit report without having to lift your credit freeze. Even with a credit freeze in place, people are legally permitted to view their own credit report. To obtain a free credit report, simply follow the same steps as if your credit wasn’t frozen.
Can a soft inquiry be done with a credit freeze?
Obtaining your personal credit report is regarded as a non-hard inquiry and remains unaffected by the freeze. Pre-approved credit offers can still come your way even if you freeze your credit report because they are usually based on soft inquiries.
Can a lender after credit if it froze?
Your credit reports will remain accessible to the following even though new lenders are unable to access them when they are frozen: You Lenders of your open credit accounts. Debt collection agencies.
Can I open a checking account if my credit is frozen?
Your credit report may be used by the bank or credit union to confirm your identity when you apply for a checking or savings account. Depending on the organization, you might not need to take your freeze out. For instance, a freeze with PNC might only stop you from creating an online account.
Read More :
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/access-view-frozen-locked-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/do-i-need-to-check-my-credit-report-if-my-credit-is-frozen/