Consumer Protection

If you are worried about identity theft, consider placing a 90-day fraud alert on your credit file. By law, you’re entitled to such a fraud alert if you can “assert in good faith” a suspicion that you have been or are about to become a victim of ID theft.

In practice, such requests are rarely turned down by the credit bureaus, consumer advocates say. The alert requires companies to verify your identity before issuing credit. Victims also are eligible for a seven-year fraud alert. For more information: www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

Consumer Protection

In Washington, victims of ID or a data breach can place a security freeze on their credit files. It’s more effective than a fraud alert because potential creditors get an “access denied” message when attempting to see your credit history, keeping them from approving new accounts. For more information: www.atg.wa.gov/consumer/idprivacy/security_freeze.shtml

Consumer Protection

AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to help consumers to obtain their free credit report.

Fight identity theft by monitoring and reviewing your credit report. You may request your free credit report online, by phone or through the mail from this site. It is a good place to start to learn about consumer’s right on your credit.