Lock Unlock Credit Report

New service from TransUnion/Truecredit allows consumers to lock and unlock their credit report online

Consumers who enroll in Truecredit’s online credit monitoring services now have the ability to select Truecredit Lock which allows the consumer to lock and unlock their TransUnion credit report online. The ability to lock your credit report is similar to a file freeze allowed under state laws in more than thirty states. However, in the case of Truecredit Lock, the consumers have instant control to lock and unlock access to their credit report online.

At present the Truecredit Lock product is combined with Truecredit’s credit monitoring products and is not available to consumers who do not participate in Truecredit’s credit monitoring services.

For consumers who do not participate in Truecredit’s credit monitoring, from October 2007 TransUnion is expected to allow consumers nationwide to freeze their credit reports by phone or mail regardless whether the consumer lives in a state that currently has file freeze legislation in place. Contact TransUnion for more information.

The ability to freeze your credit file from access by other parties is particularly helpful to consumers who are or may be victims of identity theft because with a credit report file freeze, identity thieves may be unable to open new accounts since creditors and lenders cannot access your credit report. Of course a credit report freeze must be placed at all 3 national credit reporting agencies to be more effective. The Truecredit Lock product does not indicate that it will place a freeze on your credit report at Equifax or Experian.