Hacker News Reader

Yeah, but you can be vigilant and still get screwed.

But arn't you more likely to be screwed, and have to request an investigation in the case of id theft, if you do nothing?

Freezing credit also may lead to people less likely to open up lines of credit as well. I got a credit card request for temp unfreeze, and I've never gotten around to it.

It could help, but there are still various forms of identity theft you're vulnerable to: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickclements/2017/09/13/3-reaso...

This article supports freezing: "A credit freeze is a helpful way to reduce the risk of having new credit accounts opened in your name." The article isn't against freezing; only says that you shouldn't stop there.

It's all a matter of reducing attack vectors. I can put a firewall on my network, but that doesn't mean I don't also need smart passwords.

Sure. It just starts to feel like it's pointless when no matter what you do the protection is so inadequate. Medical identity theft is among the most nightmarish to deal with because the identity thief's records are protected by HIPAA so it is difficult to even figure out what you're being charged for.

I can be vigilant and get blindsided at an intersection, but I still look both ways before I cross the street.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com