Credit Freeze - Security Flaws

[Deleted]

Well, clearly Transunion/Experian/Equifax don't actually care about identity theft.  The whole credit freeze process is implemented so terribly, any IT security expert could completely tear part the process.  I froze mine files at all three over a year ago when it became free to do so, process didn't seem to flawed.  Today I had to unfreeze as I will be having some credit checks.  Here is what happened:

• Equifax:  Never asked for my PIN when unfreezing. Username/password, and unfroze credit in matter of minutes. No confirming e-mail sent to the e-mail on file indicating unfreeze.  Absurd in my opinion.
• Transunion:  Never asked for my PIN when unfreezing. Username/password, and unfroze credit in matter of minutes. At lease I did get a confirmation e-mail indicating the action. 
• Experian:  No username/password as they don't do that.  Enter in SS and PIN, unfrozen, again no confirmation e-mail.  

So overall, what a disappointing process.  Not sure that it is really worth the hassle as it seems with such a terrible system, the hackers will soon get access.  

Has anyone else not had to use your PIN when unfreezing the file?  

[wvugurl26]

I'm not sure if DH had to use his pin or not. He just unfroze Experian when he applied for something. For him though the freezes were the only thing that kept the people who stole his identity from opening new stuff. Before freezing everything he was playing whack a mole every day.

[Artemis Windsong]

H. had to unfreeze our Experian, et al., when we were buying a house.  I prefer to have the protection but have no idea how to unfreeze it.

[TheOtherMe]

I have unfrozen my credit once since I froze it.  Had to use a PIN and got confirmation by all 3.

It's all frozen again and will stay that way so nobody can open a line of credit in my name.

[tskeeter]

Apr 29, 2019 18:22:22 GMT -5 @logicnow said:

Well, clearly Transunion/Experian/Equifax don't actually care about identity theft.  The whole credit freeze process is implemented so terribly, any IT security expert could completely tear part the process.  I froze mine files at all three over a year ago when it became free to do so, process didn't seem to flawed.  Today I had to unfreeze as I will be having some credit checks.  Here is what happened:

• Equifax:  Never asked for my PIN when unfreezing. Username/password, and unfroze credit in matter of minutes. No confirming e-mail sent to the e-mail on file indicating unfreeze.  Absurd in my opinion.
• Transunion:  Never asked for my PIN when unfreezing. Username/password, and unfroze credit in matter of minutes. At lease I did get a confirmation e-mail indicating the action. 
• Experian:  No username/password as they don't do that.  Enter in SS and PIN, unfrozen, again no confirmation e-mail.  

So overall, what a disappointing process.  Not sure that it is really worth the hassle as it seems with such a terrible system, the hackers will soon get access.  

Has anyone else not had to use your PIN when unfreezing the file?  

I think the first thing to understand about the credit reporting agencies is that you, the consumer, are not the customer.  The customer is is the lender, not the borrower.

Since the consumer is not the customer, you are correct.  The big three credit reporting agencies do not really care about identity theft.  The credit reporting agencies do not have to absorb the costs associated with identity theft.  Nor do they really have to deal with the hassles that are the result of identity theft.  The credit reporting agencies only care about identity theft to the extent that they are legally required to protect the consumer.  Other than that, you’re on your own.

By the way, I don’t think services such as “Lifelock” are great shakes either.  A couple of years ago we bought a new car while we had Lifelock services (the result of a data breach at DW’s employer).  Lifelock didn’t contact us to see if we were buying a car until at least three hours after we signed the financing contract.  By that time we had waited for the dealer to clean up the car, been through about an hour and a half of training how to use all the onboard electronics, and driven the new car about half of the 125 miles home.  So much for their claim to stop abnormal transactions so they can’t screw up your credit and cause you endless problems.

[chiver78]

I needed to unfreeze in order to apply for a corporate AmEx when I started my new job over the winter. I did not need a PIN for any of the three, and I had trouble with one of them (Equifax, I think. the original problem!) because their website had changed since I froze. I remember challenging the operator as to how this was any more secure than not having anything frozen in the first place if I didn't have/need a PIN. it's ridiculous. 

but, everything is frozen again. I had them all open for about a week to allow for company application and AmEx review.