Credit bureaus collect and organize financial and credit information on hundreds of millions of Americans. The “Big Three” agencies are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Every time you buy or lease a car, home or pay for anything on an installment contract, your payment history is reported to one or all of the bureaus.

In turn, they organize and condense your payment history, along with many other financial data points, into credit “scores,” or measures to provide a dependable analysis of your likelihood to pay your bills in full and on time.

The largest credit bureaus have been around a long time. Equifax started as the Retail Credit Company in 1899. Experian traces its start to 1826 when a group of London merchants began to share credit information on their customers. TransUnion started in 1968 as a holding company of the Union Tank Car Company, a descendant of Standard Oil.

If you have never seen a copy of your credit report from any of the bureaus, you are entitled to get a copy of your report for free. You will be amazed at the level of detail that has been assembled on you. In the hands of a bad actor — or a scammer — all this information can be used to open credit cards, buy cars and homes, or take out loans in your name. So, it’s quite important that you safeguard your credit bureau information.

The easiest way to do this is to contact each of the three bureaus and request a free “credit freeze” on your files. Once you do this, your files are not shared unless you specifically authorize it by temporarily or permanently “unfreezing” your records. The “freezing” process is quick and simple, either online or by calling each bureau. You can “freeze” and “unfreeze” your credit bureau files as often as you like.

Since each bureau sits on a huge mountain of personal financial information, criminals stay up all day and night to devise new ways to scam folks by masquerading as credit bureau employees or investigators. Fraudsters are sending text messages and emails that may say something like, “Our Credit Bureau has issued an alert for (your phone number). Call 800-XXX-XXXX.”

When you call the number, you are connected to a crook who convinces you to send money, or divulge personal data, bank and credit card information. Credit bureaus do not contact anyone by phone, text or email to request account numbers, passwords, PIN numbers, Social Security numbers or other personal information.

We have long passed the point where you need to be careful about who you believe is calling, texting or emailing you. The best rule of thumb is to absolutely distrust any message or call that comes to you electronically. Never send money just because someone demands it.

Don’t be scared or intimidated into doing anything that you can’t undo. Phone a friend for a second opinion, or contact a family member or a trusted financial professional — to include the friendly folks at your bank branch.

The summer has been a doozy, with hot and muggy days making us dream of a cool day — maybe even a COLD day. Don’t worry — the freezing weather will be back before you know it.

If you are dreaming of frozen things, go freeze your credit bureau files! Right now, get out and enjoy the heat. This area has some of the absolutely best ice cream stands in the United States. And next week, it will be time again to get out to the Canfield Fair (the best fair in Ohio) and eat a corn dog and pet the cows. We truly live in a wonderful place!

Dave Long is a former scam caseworker for Lifespan of Rochester. He gives monthly talks on scams targeting older adults at the Poland Township Government Center on Dobbins Road at 1 p.m. on the fourth Thursday each month. Dave also gives free scam talks to senior groups throughout Northeast Ohio.