New Credit Freezes Now Available Thanks to Tester’s Law

Senator’s Bipartisan Regulatory Relief Bill Helps Consumers Defend Against Identity Theft

(Big Sandy, Mont.) – Consumers are now guaranteed free credit freezes thanks to U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s recently signed legislation to protect Montanans from fraud and identity theft.

The additional consumer protections are part of Tester’s bipartisan Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which President Trump signed into law in May.

“Montanans shouldn’t have to worry about criminals affecting their credit scores or financial security,” Tester said. “These new credit freezes will protect Montanans and give them better control over who can access their credit information.”

The bill’s provision requiring credit bureaus to provide consumers with extended fraud alerts and free credit freezes goes into effect today. The Federal Trade Commission has provided links to apply for a fraud alert at IdentityTheft.gov. To place a credit freeze, consumers can apply with each bureau separately:

• https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/
• https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
• https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

Experts say credit freezes are the best way to prevent criminals from negatively impacting consumers’ credit scores through fraud and identity theft.

Tester’s Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, the result of years of work with Republicans and Democrats, also cuts red tape for community banks and credit unions while maintaining protections against risky Wall Street bets.

As a member of the Senate’s Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Tester has worked tirelessly to stand up for the more than 367,000 Montanans whose information was comprised by the Equifax data breach.

After it was announced in September 2017, Tester grilled former Equifax CEO Richard Smith for the company’s slow reaction to the breach and held Washington bureaucrats’ feet to the fire for their failure to investigate Equifax.

Tester also demanded that the IRS rescind its $7 million contract with Equifax and partnered with Montana Attorney General Tim Fox to offer consumer protection tips to Montanans affected by the breach.

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act is one of 20 bipartisan bills Tester has authored that President Trump has signed into law since January 2017. Tester’s other 19 bills signed into law by President Trump are available HERE.