Tennessee Code 47-18-2109 – Notice to consumer regarding security freeze
At any time that a Tennessee consumer is required to receive a summary of rights required by 15 U.S.C. § 1681g(d) of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Tennessee consumer shall also be provided with the following prominent, clear and conspicuous notice in at least twelve (12) point type:
TENNESSEE CONSUMERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBTAIN A SECURITY FREEZE
You have a right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. A security freeze must be requested in writing by certified mail or by electronic means as provided by a consumer reporting agency. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. If you are actively seeking a new credit, loan, utility, or telephone account, you should understand that the procedures involved in lifting a security freeze may slow your applications for credit. You should plan ahead and lift a freeze in advance of actually applying for new credit. When you place a security freeze on your credit report, you will be provided a personal identification number or password to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or authorize the release of your credit report for a period of time after the freeze is in place. To provide that authorization you must contact the consumer reporting agency and provide all of the following:
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 47-18-2109
- Attorney general: means the office of the Tennessee attorney general and reporter. See Tennessee Code 47-18-2102
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Consumer reporting agency: has the meaning ascribed to that term by Tennessee Code 47-18-2102
- Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. Source: OCC
- Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. Source: OCC
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Identity theft: means :
(A) Obtaining, possessing, transferring, using or attempting to obtain, possess, transfer or use, for unlawful economic benefit, one (1) or more identification documents or personal identification numbers of another person. See Tennessee Code 47-18-2102 - Person: means a natural person, consumer, individual, governmental agency, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, incorporated or unincorporated association, and any other legal or commercial entity however organized. See Tennessee Code 47-18-2102
- Personal identification number: means any number that is assigned by the government to identify a particular person, including, but not limited to, social security number, federal tax payer identification number, Medicaid, Medicare or TennCare number which identifies a particular person eligible for benefits, any number assigned to a person as part of a licensure or registration process, such as a board of professional responsibility number, driver license number and passport number and any number assigned by an insurance company, health maintenance organization, managed care organization or other health benefit organization, for the purposes of identifying a particular person eligible for services. See Tennessee Code 47-18-2102
- Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
A consumer reporting agency must authorize the release of your credit report no later than fifteen (15) minutes after receiving the above information.
A security freeze does not apply to a person or entity, or its affiliates, or collection agencies acting on behalf of the person or entity, with which you have an existing account, that requests information in your credit report for the purposes of fraud control, or reviewing or collecting the account. Reviewing the account includes activities related to account maintenance.
You should consider filing a complaint regarding your identity theft situation with the federal trade commission and the attorney general and reporter, either in writing or via their web sites.
You have a right to bring civil action against anyone, including a consumer reporting agency, who improperly obtains access to a file, misuses file data, or fails to correct inaccurate file data.