Wondering where to find the TransUnion credit freeze page? You’re not alone. The agency updated its website to make it harder to find.
Last week, news broke that Equifax, a credit reporting agency, suffered a data breach. Over 143 million Americans had their data compromised, including Social Security Numbers. Equifax handled the situation poorly, even going so far as to push consumers toward its credit monitoring service. As it turns out, TransUnion, another credit agency, is doing the same thing.
You can, however, still get to the TransUnion Credit Freeze page. Here’s how.
Freezing Your Credit
TransUnion has changed its website to make it harder for people to find its credit freeze page. Instead, it too is promoting its credit monitoring product called TrueIdentity. The website forces you through a series of convoluted steps in order to find the page. Luckily, the page is still there, just hidden.
TransUnion requires you to go through a series of steps first. They’re designed to trick you into signing up for TrueIdentity, instead of a credit freeze. The trick is that TrueIdentity is free (for now) and freezing may require a fee. But there’s no evidence that credit monitoring works. And by the time a hack this happens, signing up for monitoring after the fact may be too late.
Resources
You can visit this page on the TransUnion website to start the credit freeze process. Or, you can skip the website and call them:
- TransUnion Freeze Hotline: 888-909-8872
- Equifax: 1-800-685-1111 (NY residents 1-800-349-9960. Canadians: 1-800-465-7166)
- Experian: 1 888 397 3742
Additionally, you can visit OptOutPrescreen.com to opt in or out of promotional solicitations:
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you (“Firm Offers”). The FCRA also provides you the right to “Opt-Out”, which prevents Consumer Credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offers.
If the automated hotlines are busy, try calling back at an unusual time, like 12:30-1:00AM. The volume of callers may be lower at these times.
Thank You Dear Sir!! Since the Equifax drama I have been trying to put a freeze on all 4 credit reporting agencies – Innovis, Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. Also I put a freeze on ChexSystems as well as to OptoutPreeScreen.com!!! But like you stated the TransUnion was very hard to find and do. But thanks to you thats now done as well.
People should get on this and lock everything down before the craziness happens!!
Those actions are good but not sufficient. Unfortunately, there are no actions you can take that are “sufficient”.
Here’s why. Your cell carrier probably relies on “last four digits of your social [SSN]” as its primary authenticator for you. And maybe your birthday as well. Well, the hackers have both of those now. So they can call your cell carrier and impersonate you and inform the service rep that you broke your phone but have a new one now, and get the carrier to switch your phone number to the new phone. The then go to your bank site and go through the “Forgot password” routine. It probably send a code to your pre-registered phone number, right? So now they have that, set the new password and your money’s all gone.
This scheme doesn’t work with iCloud accounts because that doesn’t use a phone number, except for first-time registration. Once initial setup is complete, you have a “trusted device” rather than a “trusted phone number”. Criminals can’t switch that. Google’s 2FA might work the same way (some people say it does but I don’t have experience).