FRAUD ALERT SWITCH
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of permitting consumers to change their current credit freeze status, comprising the steps of:
- providing consumer accessible digital control that allows a consumer to enter and transmit personal information to a service provider located at a provider location;
receiving personal information from a consumer;
receiving authorization information including preference data indicating whether the credit files of a consumer associated with said personal data should be frozen, thereby enabling a status that prevents credit reports associated with said consumer from being provided by at least one credit bureau which otherwise provides credit reports to creditors requesting them;
storing said personal information at said provider location;
making available, to at least one credit bureau, request data derived from said preference information, such that said credit bureau, in response to said request data, selectively freezes or unfreezes said consumer'"'"'s credit files.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A credit freeze on-off switch implemented through, for example a web page control, is provided for consumers to quickly and inexpensively freeze and unfreeze their credit files with the major credit bureaus. This helps prevent credit fraud before it happens.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of permitting consumers to change their current credit freeze status, comprising the steps of:
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providing consumer accessible digital control that allows a consumer to enter and transmit personal information to a service provider located at a provider location;
receiving personal information from a consumer;
receiving authorization information including preference data indicating whether the credit files of a consumer associated with said personal data should be frozen, thereby enabling a status that prevents credit reports associated with said consumer from being provided by at least one credit bureau which otherwise provides credit reports to creditors requesting them;
storing said personal information at said provider location;
making available, to at least one credit bureau, request data derived from said preference information, such that said credit bureau, in response to said request data, selectively freezes or unfreezes said consumer'"'"'s credit files. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
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7. A method of permitting consumers to change their current credit freeze status, comprising the steps of:
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providing consumer accessible digital control that allows a consumer to enter and transmit personal information to a service provider located at a provider location;
receiving personal information from a consumer and storing said personal information;
receiving a first request from said consumer indicating a desire to freeze a credit file held by at least one credit bureau;
in response to said first request, transmitting a request to said at least one at least one credit bureau to freeze said credit file;
receiving a first request from said consumer indicating a desire to unfreeze a credit file held by at least one credit bureau;
in response to said first request, transmitting a request to said at least one at least one credit bureau to unfreeze said credit file.
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Specification