6/30/2023 0 Comments Experian credit freeze lost pin![]() ![]() ![]() (It turns out that I had in fact successfully changed my PIN over the phone, but it was replaced by an even newer PIN after a different representative told me it had not been changed and that I needed to permanently remove my freeze and place a new one instead.)īelow are our revised steps for changing your Experian credit freeze PIN: I verified this after receiving two conflicting confirmation letters in the mail after my afternoon with phone reps. While it appears this remains to be the only way to change one’s PIN online, it is in fact possible to change your PIN over the phone without permanently removing your existing freeze. After spending an afternoon with seven different Experian phone representatives and receiving conflicting information, I was told repeatedly the only way to change your Experian PIN is to permanently remove your existing Experian credit freeze and place a new one. In the meantime, the best way to protect the security of your Experian credit freeze is to change your Experian credit freeze PIN. We also urge the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to investigate the security flaw, determine how long the flaw existed, verify the validity of Experian’s claim that “no credit files are at risk,” assess Experian’s lack of public notification of the flaw or the steps consumers can take in response to it, and levy robust financial penalties based on the results of the investigation. We’re calling on Experian to at least notify all who may be at risk because their PINs were retrieved before the flaw was fixed. The flaw appears to have been fixed the day it was reported on, but who knows how long the flaw was in place. This puts all consumers with an Experian credit freeze at risk, including deployed servicemembers who might not discover any fraud until after they return. However, PINs could be retrieved by simply answering “none of the above” to all security questions, providing an opportunity for identity thieves to retrieve PINs, remove freezes, and apply for new credit accounts. Here’s a little more context: Experian’s website allows consumers to retrieve their credit freeze PIN, which is needed to temporarily remove a freeze when applying for credit, if they lost it. I, too, was able to retrieve my PIN by selecting “none of the above” for security questions even though the answer was in the list of options. That is now extended to a full year.A couple weeks ago, after reading a Nerdwallet news alert about Experian’s faulty credit freeze PIN retrieval form, I tried it out for myself. It used to be credit bureaus only had to provide fraud alerts for 90 days. The law also extends the period for fraud alerts, which have always been free and remain so. Without the PIN your loan and credit applications could be delayed. It’s important to keep track of your pin. It's important to note that people applying for new credit cards, loans, and other transactions, must lift their freezes with the PIN provided by the credit bureau. If you forget your PIN, you'll need to contact the bureau to verify your identity and reset your account access with a new PIN. Each bureau will ask you to answer several questions to validate your identity, and you'll get a PIN code that you can use to freeze and unfreeze your credit report, as needed. The path to a credit freeze involves informing all three major credit bureaus that you’d like a credit freeze. Previously, the cost of such freezes varied by state.Ī credit freeze helps fight against identity theft by restricting access to your credit file and making it more difficult for potential identity thieves to open accounts in your name. Now Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, the three major credit reporting bureaus, must provide extended fraud alerts and free credit freezes for anyone who requests them. with a free tool to help protect against identity theft. A new law just went into effect that will provide consumers across the U.S. There is good news for those of us looking for stronger ways to protect our credit. ![]()
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