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State Rep. John McCaherty Files Legislation to Help Missourians Protect Their Identities and Credit Ratings

 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Rep. John McCaherty wants to make it easier and free for Missourians to protect their credit ratings. He filed legislation, HB 1618, that would remove the current $5 charge to enact a credit report security freeze, and also empower parents to enact a freeze on the credit reports of their children.

 

McCaherty noted that current law in Missouri waives the $5 charge for a credit report freeze if the individual is a victim of identity theft with a police report or incident report. His legislation would remove the fee for Missourians who want to act preemptively to protect their identities and their credit.

 

“It seems like we see another story each week of a major company being hacked and millions of innocent people being exposed to potential identity theft. We need to be serious about giving Missourians the tools they need to protect their interests, as well as those of their family members,” said McCaherty, R-Murphy. “This is a very simple change but one I hope will make this proactive, preemptive step something all Missourians will utilize when they suspect identity theft.”

 

McCaherty noted that federal employees were notified of a hack during the summer. They learned that the letter from the federal government was not sufficient to warrant a credit report freeze at no charge. McCaherty said he wants to make sure all freezes are free going forward.