Advanced Resolution Services Inc.

PSA: Freezing your three main credit reports is NOT ENOUGH This is the case for two main reasons: * **Identity thieves can sometimes undo your security freezes** if they are persistent enough - often either by calling in to the bureaus or by passing the (joke of a) security quiz) * There are **several other bureaus** that may be checked instead of one of the main three This sounds discouraging, but there is a way to protect yourself despite this. Although identity thieves can often undo security freezes, **it is usually difficult for them to undo** ***extended*** **fraud alerts**, possibly except for with TransUnion, which appears to allow their removal online (so keep a close eye on TransUnion). (If the identity thief already has a photocopy of your ID *and* your SSN, or is persistently trying to lift your freezes, you should apply for a new SSN ASAP) Regarding the second point, it is possible to pin-point each freezable credit bureau and freeze them, as the CFPB maintains a list of bureaus, and notates which ones are or are not freezable. If you are a victim of identify theft, **I would highly recommend placing extended fraud alerts AND security freezes on ALL of the bureaus in the list below** (in addition to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) **Bureaus used for bank account applications:** * **ChexSystems:** IMO this one is ***really*** important to freeze, even if you're not a victim of identity theft (however, I personally wouldn't place a fraud alert here unless identity theft was a threat) * **LexisNexis:** holds public records, but often used by financial institutions to verify identity * SageStream is now part of LexisNexis, so freezing LexisNexis will also freeze SageStream * ChexSystems sometimes pulls from LexisNexis, so when unfreezing ChexSystems to apply for bank accounts, you should unfreeze LexisNexis as well * Note: Early Warning Services (EWS) is also used to review bank account applications, but they do not offer security freezes o