Method and system for securing credit accounts
An enterprising identity thief may open new credit accounts in a consumer's name and then place a credit freeze on a consumer's credit file, thus making it more difficult to detect or remedy the identity theft. This problem may be solved by automatically requesting a security freeze at each of the three main credit bureaus upon the enrollment of a consumer with the service provider. The requesting of the security freeze may result in the credit bureau generating an identification code for the consumer at each of the credit bureaus. The service provider then may immediately request that the security freeze be removed. Accordingly, the consumer may gain control of the security freeze credentials from each credit bureau before the identity thief.
1 . A method, comprising:
receiving a request for unfreezing a consumer credit account with a credit bureau that has a security freeze placed on it, the request including an identification code;
generating a release code based on the request at the service provider;
providing the release code from the service provider to the consumer;
receiving the release code at the service provider from a requestor;
matching the release code with the request;
obtaining a plurality of identification codes for the consumer's accounts having a security freeze from a respective plurality of credit bureaus based on the release code;
submitting an unfreeze request from the service provider including the respective identification codes to the plurality of credit bureaus if the release code in the request matches a stored release code;
receiving a confirmation of the unfreeze of the accounts from the credit bureaus;
providing the confirmation to the requester.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a notification of an inquiry into the consumers credit file; and
notifying the consumer of the inquiry.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising authenticating an identity of the consumer prior to providing the release code.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an institution code to the requester;
receiving the institution code along with the release code; and
verifying the institution code.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request and the unfreeze request includes a type of credit request; and verifying the type of credit request in the request and the unfreeze request match; and notifying the consumer if the type of credit request in the request and the unfreeze request do not match.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unfreeze request includes at least one an institution code, individual customer code, type of credit request, time period to unfreeze, or bureau to unfreeze.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes at least one a credit bureau, number of release codes, type of credit request, time period for release code validity.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising denying the unfreeze request if the unfreeze request is received outside of the predetermined time period.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is provided directly to the credit bureau.
10 . A method, comprising:
receiving a request to freeze a consumers credit accounts at credit bureaus at a service provider;
requesting a security freeze from the service provider to a plurality of credit bureaus;
receiving a respective identification code at the service provider for the consumer related to the security freeze from each of the plurality of credit bureaus;
storing each of the identification codes at the service provider;
generating a single security code associated with the identification codes for the consumer;
providing the security code to the consumer.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving enrollment information from the consumer;
authenticating the enrollment information; and
enrolling the consumer in the program if the enrollment information is authenticated.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the requesting the security freeze comprises providing each of the credit bureaus with their required information.
13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing the request directly to the credit bureaus
14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising generating a single set of data that complies with each of the credit bureaus requirements and providing the same set of data to each of the credit bureaus.
15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising;
receiving a request to remove the security freeze, the request including the consumer's single security code associated with the consumer's identification code;
determining the identification code for the credit bureaus based on the code;
providing a request to remove the security freeze directly to the respective credit bureaus including the respective identification codes;
receiving verification of the removal of the security freeze from the credit bureaus; and
notifying the consumer of the completion of the request.
16 . A computer-readable medium comprising software, which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a request for unfreezing a consumer credit account with a credit bureau that has a security freeze placed on it, the request including an identification code;
generating a release code based on the request at the service provider;
providing the release code from the service provider to the consumer;
receiving the release code at the service provider from a requestor;
matching the release code with the request;
obtaining a plurality of identification codes for the consumer's accounts having a security freeze from a respective plurality of credit bureaus based on the release code;
submitting an unfreeze request from the service provider including the respective identification codes to the plurality of credit bureaus if the release code in the request matches a stored release code;
receiving a confirmation of the unfreeze of the accounts from the credit bureaus;
providing the confirmation to the requestor.
17 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising code for:
receiving a notification of an inquiry into the consumers credit file; and
notifying the consumer of the inquiry.
18 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising code for authenticating an identity of the consumer prior to providing the release code.
19 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising code for:
providing an institution code to the requestor;
receiving the institution code along with the release code; and
verifying the institution code.