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The National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange (NCTUE) is a specialty credit reporting agency that collects information from telecommunication, pay TV, home security and utility companies. NCTUE member companies can send account information to the NCTUE and request consumer reports.
Similar to how a consumer credit bureau like Experian creates credit reports with your history of credit accounts, the NCTUE reports contain a consumer's history with the types of accounts NCTUE covers. For example, your report might show relevant on-time payments and unpaid balances for phone and utility accounts you've had.
To help prevent your account information from being accessed and used without your permission, you can add and remove security freezes from your NCTUE report by phone, mail or online.
What Is an NCTUE Freeze?
Adding a free security freeze to your NCTUE report can limit companies' access to your report, which could keep someone from opening a new account in your name.
Companies might request your NCTUE report when you apply for a new account, and your eligibility and security deposit requirements could depend on what's in the report. Some companies may additionally or alternatively check your consumer credit report, resulting in a soft credit inquiry that doesn't affect your credit scores.
Freezing your NCTUE report, along with your credit reports and ChexSystem report, could be a good idea if you think your identity was stolen. It can also be a precautionary measure to help protect you from identity fraud.
However, you also will need to remember to unfreeze or temporarily thaw your report if you plan to apply for a new telecom, pay TV, home security or utility account.
How to Freeze Your NCTUE Report
You can request a security freeze by calling 866-349-5355 or sending a letter to:
Security Freeze
Exchange Service Center—NCTUE
P.O. Box 105561
Atlanta, GA 30348
Alternatively, you can freeze your NCTUE report online:
- Enter your information. The first page asks for your name, Social Security number, date of birth and current address.
- Click "place a freeze" to continue. Next, you'll see some information about security freezes and the current status of your NCTUE report. If it's not frozen, you can click "place a freeze" to continue.
- Click "place a freeze" again. The following page informs you that you're about to freeze your report. Click "place a freeze" again to continue.
- Review and download your confirmation. The final page will inform you if the security freeze was successfully added to your report. Be sure to download the confirmation page, as it includes a PIN that you'll need to remove the security freeze.
How to Unfreeze Your NCTUE Report
You may want to unfreeze your NCTUE report before applying for a new account. Unfreezing your report might only take a few minutes, but it's best to plan ahead. The NCTUE warns that it could take up to three business days to temporarily lift a freeze, and you might not be able to make the request during non-business hours.
Similar to placing a freeze, you can try to lift a freeze by phone or mail. If you mail your request, include the following information in your letter:
- Complete name, including a suffix, such as Jr. or Sr.
- Address, Social Security number and date of birth
- Your PIN from NCTUE
- The date range, if you're requesting a temporary thaw.
- You can optionally request to lift the security freeze for specific companies and will receive one-time codes that you can share with the companies. But NCTUE recommends temporarily thawing your entire report.
You can also request a thaw or unfreeze your report online:
- Enter your information. Use the same page and form to enter your personal information.
- Click "manage" to continue. The current status should show that your report is frozen, and you can click "manage freeze" to continue.
- Choose the type of thaw. You can choose to temporarily lift a security freeze for a specific period, for specific companies or permanently remove the freeze. Choose an option and click continue.
- Enter your PIN. Enter your PIN and click continue. If you lost your PIN, you may need to request a new one by mail.
- Review and download your confirmation. The final page will inform you if the security freeze was removed. You can download a confirmation page, but you won't receive a new PIN.
Monitor Your Credit Reports for Free
Freezing your NCTUE report can help keep someone from using your identity to open a new account. However, it's also important to stay on top of other ways criminals can try to use your identity, such as taking out a loan or credit card. You can monitor your Experian credit report for free and receive real-time notifications of important changes, such as a new account or a hard inquiry, which could be signs of identity theft and fraud.