news-record.com

As of Thursday, North Carolina consumers will have better access to tools to fight identity theft thanks to a new law.

Under the Senate Bill 1017, North Carolinians can guard against identity theft by freezing their credit reports online for free. Seniors and victims of identity theft can also freeze their credit by telephone or mail for free.

Previously, consumers who had not been the victim of identity theft had to pay a $10 fee per credit bureau to establish or lift a security freeze.

Placing security freezes on your credit prevents an identity thief from opening new accounts or taking out credit cards and loans in your name. Once a security freeze is in place, the credit bureau won’t release information from your credit file until or unless you lift the freeze.

The new law also:

• requires paid credit monitoring services to tell consumers how they can check their credit report for free,
• beefs up security breach reporting requirements,
• allows removal of personal financial information from local government Web sites, and
• protects crime victims from debts caused by criminals.

North Carolinians can request free security freezes by visiting the Web sites of the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – and providing identifying information such as social security number, address and date of birth. Detailed information about how to sign up for security freezes and how to lift one when you need to take out credit can be found at www.ncdoj.gov. Consumers can lift their security freezes online for free, as well.

Consumers who don’t have access to the Internet can request and lift security freezes by mail or telephone for $3 per bureau. Freezes by mail or telephone are free to victims of identity theft and consumers over aged 62.