Protect Your Identity

The nation's three credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - have set up a system that will enable identity fraud victims to protect their credit information by making one toll-free call to any of them. When an identify fraud victim calls any of the credit reporting companies, the company will alert the other two. Then each company will post a security alert on the victim's credit file, opt the victim out of pre-approved credit or insurance offers; and mail the victim a copy of his or her credit file. The companies toll free numbers are:

• Equifax - 1-800-525-6285
• Experian - 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion - 1-800-680-7289