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Yet another Credit bureau to freeze



Last October I wrote an article suggesting that older stable clients freeze their credit report to reduce the risk of identity theft. If we are not planning on buying car soon, or a house we can go years with no credit check. In that circumstance, it makes sense for many people, myself included, to set up a credit freeze. When I wrote the article, I listed four credit bureaus to freeze. But, there is a fifth which is used a lot. It is catching people who have frozen the other four.

A credit freeze means that normally, the credit bureau cannot report on your credit. If the police ask, or some other special circumstance exists, then they will report, but not under normal circumstances. So if someone who acquired your name, address, credit card number and social security number bought a phone in your name and the phone company checked your credit, they would not get a report. This might discourage them from offering the fraudster credit. It can cost something to set up the freeze and also to release it if you need a credit check. In Oregon they can charge you up to $10.

The NCTUE is a credit bureau setup by AT&T in 1997 specifically for servicing TV, utilities and telecommunications members. Many phone companies like Verizon use it as well as utility companies and cable companies. It has contracted with Equifax as their sole provider to maintain their database, so we know it will be done badly.

I was not charged for this freeze. It was simple and quick to set up. I suggest that you do it online, people have reported trouble with their automated phone system.

How to do it



Be sure to save their PDF form which will have your secret pin in it. You will need that pin to unfreeze the report. They allow you to unfreeze it for a week or two, if your credit needs to be checked.







Date: August 2018


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