Little by little, a weapon against identity theft is gaining currency -- but few people know about it.
It"s called the security freeze, and it lets individuals block access to their credit reports until they personally unlock the files by contacting the credit bureaus and providing a PIN code. The process is a bit of a hassle, and the credit-reporting industry believes it complicates things unnecessarily. But it appears to be one of the few ways to virtually guarantee that a fraudster cannot open an account in your name.
The freeze became an option in California and Texas last year, and Louisiana and Vermont will allow it beginning next July. However, the Texas and Vermont laws apply only to people who already have been victimized by identity theft. Only 2,000 Californians and 150 Texans have taken advantage of the freeze, according to Experian Inc., one of the three major credit bureaus.