STATE OF MICHIGAN – NOTICE TO CONSUMERS
Under the Equifax voluntary security freeze program you may request that a security freeze be placed on your Equifax Information Services LLC (Equifax) credit report by sending a request in writing by certified mail or by electronic means as described below. The security freeze on your credit report will prohibit Equifax from releasing your credit report without your express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent the release of your credit report without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who is allowed access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, government services or payments, rental housing, investment, license, cellular telephone, utilities, digital signature, Internet credit card transaction or other services, including an extension of credit at point of sale.
When you place a security freeze on your credit report, you will be provided a personal identification number or password to use if you choose to remove the security freeze from your credit report or to authorize the temporary release of your credit report for a specific party or specific period of time while the security freeze is in place.
To provide that authorization, you must contact Equifax and provide all the following:
1. Proper identification.
2. The unique personal identification number or password provided by the credit reporting agency.
3. The proper information regarding the specific party who is to receive the credit report or the specific period of time for which the credit report is to be available.
4. Appropriate fee.
Equifax will authorize the release of your credit report no later than fifteen (15) minutes after receiving the above information if the request is by electronic means or no later than three business days when a written request is submitted.
Equifax will permanently remove the security freeze from your credit file not later than 3 business days after receiving your request to do so.
A security freeze does not apply to certain persons, including a person, or collection agencies acting on behalf of a person, with whom you have an existing account that requests information in your credit report for the purposes of reviewing or collecting the account. A security freeze does not apply to the use of your credit report for insurance underwriting purposes or employment purposes.
If you are actively seeking a new credit, loan, utility, or telephone account, you should understand that the procedures involved in lifting a security freeze may slow your own applications for credit. You should plan ahead and lift a freeze, either completely if you are shopping around or specifically for a certain creditor, with enough advance notice before you apply for new credit to enable the lifting to take effect.
To place a security freeze on your Equifax credit report, send your request via certified mail to:
Equifax Security Freeze, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, Georgia 30348
Or, you may contact us on the web at equifax.com or call 800-685-1111.
The fee to place a security freeze on your credit report is $10.00. If you are the victim of identity theft and you submit a copy of a valid police report, investigative report or complaint you have filed with a law enforcement agency regarding the unlawful use of your personal information by another person, no fee will be charged. Include your complete name, complete address, social security number, date of birth and payment, if applicable.
Written confirmation of the security freeze will be sent within 10 business days of receipt of the request via first class mail. It will include your unique personal identification number and instructions for removing the security freeze or authorizing the release of your credit report for a specific party or specific period of time.