CREDIT FREEZE TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT

When you place a freeze on your credit reports, credit card issuers, lenders and others can’t check your credit history.  Without that information, they won’t issue credit.  This is important because new account fraud is the hottest form of identity theft.  If someone uses your credit card to buy something online, you get the bill in a short time period, can dispute the charge, and can put an end to the use of the card.  If they open a new account, they can arrange for the bill to go to a different address, and use the card for a longer period of time before you realize that you’ve been victimized, long after your credit record has been trashed.