The freeze of credits and release with the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – will be free for all by federal law as of September 21st.(Photo: Getty Images / iStockphoto)

Deep freezing your three major credit reports is a well known way to prevent fraudsters from opening credit cards and other loans on your behalf. But it's incomplete.

Criminals open more and more phone accounts, utilities, banks, and other types of accounts that do not need your credit report for approval. They use these accounts as their own accounts, never pay the bill, and are not detected until the fictitious account is transferred to the collections.

Even worse, some criminals can withdraw money from a compromised bank account or PayPal and place it in a fake account or savings account that they have created on your behalf. By the time you discover the money transfer, it is too late.

Last year, 44% of victims of fraudulent accountsAccording to an annual survey conducted by Javelin Strategy and Research, a research and advisory firm based in Pleasanton, California, thieves created fake mobile and banking services on their behalf, up from 27% in 2016.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft complaints about landline phones, mobile phones, medical services, insurance and apartment rentals have also increased significantly from 2016 to 2017.

"They can open payday loans and new mobile phone accounts. They can use the information to manage scams or get a job, "says Al Pascual, fraud and security manager at Javelin. "They can do a lot with your personal information."

The stakes are even greater for Americans, following last year's huge data breach at Equifax, one of the top three credit bureaus. The hacking exposed the personal data of 148 million Americans, including social security numbers, often required as a key identification factor to open new accounts.

To better protect your financial situation, you should monitor or lock in, where possible, other consumer reports that detail your banking, utility and insurance history. Here's what you need to know and how to react. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides a complete list of consumer reporting companies to: s3.amazonaws.com/files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_consumer-reporting-companies-list.pdf.

Freeze now:

Pasqual recommends freezing your reports at Innovis, ChexSystems, and the National Consumer Telecommunications & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE). You must also request a free report from everyone to check for errors every 12 months.

• Innovis provides information to help businesses detect and prevent fraud. You can get your free report at www.innovis.com/personal/creditReport and request a security freeze at www.innovis.com/personal/securityFreeze.

• ChexSystems provides information about application verification and account history. Banks and credit unions use these reports to determine whether to approve a new bank account. To get your free report and request a freeze, go to the company's website at www.chexsystems.com and click on "FREE FACTA Report" and "Security Freeze Information".

• NCTUE collects telecommunication, pay-TV and utility connection requests, account payment histories, payment defaults and fraudulent accounts. Get your free report and request a security freeze at www.nctue.com/Consumers.

TO CLOSE

In addition to protection, you must take these steps to make sure you do not invite intruders into your smartphone, the repository of so much professional and personal information.
Mark Saltzman for USA TODAY

Consider a freeze; monitor regularly:

CoreLogic Credco, LexixNexis and SageStream provide, among other things, additional reports for lenders, retailers, utilities and telephone service providers. These reports may include property data, tax payment status, lease applications, collection accounts, bankruptcies, liens, judgments, and support obligations. Ask for a copy of your report every year and consider a freeze if you want additional protection.

Freeze if necessary; monitor regularly:

Several companies collect information on payday loans, check cashing services, lease purchase transactions and other alternative financial products for low-income or at-risk consumers. high.

  • Clarity Services
  • CoreLogic Teletrack
  • DataX
  • FactorTrust
  • MicroBilt / PRBC

You should receive a free report every year from these companies even if you have not used one of these products. You want to make sure that no one has got any of these financial products illegally on your behalf.

If you have ever used these products and have a legitimate relationship, freeze it to prevent fraudsters from opening new payday loans or other alternative financial products on your behalf. You can freeze your report at Clarity Services, CoreLogic Teletrack FactorTrust and MicroBilt / PRBC.

Monitor regularly:

These companies provide check or check verification services to retailers, financial institutions, home improvement professionals, auto repair shops, medical and dental practices, among others. You can not freeze these reports, but you must request a free copy each year to check for inaccuracies and unauthorized accounts.

  • Certegy verification services
  • CrossCheck Inc.
  • Early warning services
  • Global Payments Check Services Inc.
  • TeleCheck Services

Watch if necessary:

If a potential employer requires a background check before hiring, ask for the name of the controlling company and ask for a copy of the report to verify the facts. Current job screening companies include:

  • Precise context
  • American DataBank
  • backgroundchecks.com
  • Checkr
  • First Advantage Corporation (also offers a free security freeze)
  • General Information Services Inc. (GIS)

Find out which tenant control company a potential homeowner uses and request a copy of the report. The most common ones include:

  • Contemporary Information Corp. (CIC)
  • CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions
  • Experian RentBureau
  • First Advantage Corporation residents' historical report (also offers free security freeze)
  • LeasingDesk (Real Page Inc.)

Before applying for a property, car, homeowner or medical insurance, life, disability and long-term care, get a copy of your specialized insurance report from the following:

  • A-PLUS Property (houses and commercial buildings)
  • INDEX. Inc. (personal and auto reports)
  • History of drivers
  • Exchange of information on insurance (motor vehicle records)
  • MIB Inc. (Health Status Records)

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