Putting a padlock on your credit profile

TULSA - Holiday shopping using credit and debit cards increases the chances of fraud and identity theft.

People whose personal information may have been compromised need to know whether a fraud alert is needed or a credit freeze placed on all credit files.

The fraud alert is a notice asking creditors to verify your identity before issuing any credit card or loan.

A credit freeze completely locks your credit     file:  No one can access it unless you give specific authorization with a password or personal identification number    .

The big three credit reporting bureaus; Experian, Equifax and Transunion must each be contacted to place a credit freeze and there's a charge, generally between $3 to $10 per bureau.