Credit Freezes Could Stop Identity Theft

"Barbara Haviluk says the call came out of nowhere.

"Discover Card informed me that a person had all my information," she says.

A thief had her mother's maiden name, her Social Security number and more.

"It was like an out-of-body experience to realize that somebody could then use me for their financial gain."

She's not alone. More than 5 million Americans have had their personal information lost or stolen in the last six months. Many don't realize there are things they can do to protect themselves.

• Experts say you can ask the credit reporting agencies for what's called a "fraud alert." Typically good for 90 days, they raise a red flag on any unusual credit activity.
  
• You can tell credit card companies to stop sending those convenience checks. They can be stolen from your mailbox.
  
• Consider using a P.O. box or perhaps buying a lockable mailbox for your home.
  

Back in California, Barbara Haviluk fought back with that state's credit-freeze law.

Here's how it works: You send $10 to each of the three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and Transunion — asking them to freeze access to your credit reports until you unfreeze them."

Read More on MSNBC