Print   

news release

Contact:
Donald Girard                        
Public Relations
714 830 5647 Telephone
donald.girard@experian.com Email

Experian to Offer File Freeze to Consumers Nationwide

Costa Mesa, Calif. — Oct. 4, 2007 — Experian^®, a global information solutions provider, today announced that it will offer the option to freeze credit reports to consumers nationwide. Beginning Nov. 1, Experian will allow any consumer across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories to place a freeze on their credit report. A credit file freeze prevents new creditors from accessing the credit file without the consumer’s consent.

Experian’s file freeze will be free to victims of identity theft. Unless state law mandates otherwise, there will be a $10 fee to institute, temporarily lift or permanently remove the freeze.

“Experian continually strives to provide consumers with effective tools to prevent and detect credit fraud, as well as to monitor credit information,” said Kerry Williams, group president, Credit Services & Decision Analytics. “Now that a national model for file freezing has emerged, Experian is offering this option to help prevent consumer confusion. Placing a freeze on a credit file is a major decision for a consumer. It will be one option among a broad range of fraud assistance tools we already provide to consumers so that they may make the choice best suited to their situation.”

Experian will continue to offer the placement of fraud security alerts on a credit file for consumers that may be victims of identify theft at no charge.

“A fraud security alert is a better option for many consumers who are concerned about financial fraud. A security alert informs credit grantors that a consumer may have been the victim of identity theft, effectively protecting consumers from credit fraud without taking the drastic step of removing them from the credit marketplace entirely,” said Williams.

Information and tips about protecting your information and identify theft can be found at http://www.experian.com/identity_fraud/index.html.

About Experian
Experian^® is a global leader in providing information, analytical and marketing services to organizations and consumers to help manage the risk and reward of commercial and financial decisions. Combining its unique information tools and deep understanding of individuals, markets and economies, Experian partners with organizations around the world to establish and strengthen customer relationships and provide their businesses with competitive advantage. For consumers, Experian delivers critical information that enables them to make financial and purchasing decisions with greater control and confidence. Clients include organizations from financial services, retail and catalog, telecommunications, utilities, media, insurance, automotive, leisure, e-commerce, manufacturing, property and government sectors.

Experian Group Limited is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. It has corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, and operational headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Nottingham, UK. Experian employs approximately 15,500 people in 36 countries worldwide, supporting clients in more than 65 countries. Annual sales are in excess of $3.8 billion.

For more information, visit the Group’s Web site on www.experiangroup.com.

Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

###