DENVER -- Are you checking your credit reports? Watching your bank statements? Worried about ID theft?

If you're worried about ID thieves using your personal information to open new credit accounts, a credit freeze just might be the solution to ease your fears.

When you request a freeze on your credit file, your report can't be seen by any third party, effectively making it impossible to open new credit accounts. Consumer Reports said that thanks to recent changes in local laws, people in 28 states, including Colorado, can put a freeze on their reports.

To initiate a credit freeze, you might have to spend up to $20, and removing it from your accounts can cost another $20. To start the process, send a certified letter to each of the three major credit reporting agencies. That letter should have your full legal name, all of your home addresses for the past two years, your Social Security Number and your date of birth. You'll also need to include a copy of a state-issued ID, a recent utility bill and a copy of the police report if you've been the victim of ID theft in the past. The agencies will then process your request.

A credit freeze will not stop someone who already has your credit card information and is using it. And because it blocks access to your credit records, getting access for a credit check for a car loan or a mortgage may take a few days. Also, freezing your file won't stop those pre-approved credit offers.

Finally, if you're married, you and your spouse have separate credit files, so both of you have to follow the procedures to request a credit freeze and pay the necessary fees.

For more information, go to the Colorado attorney general's Consumer Resource Guide at www.ago.state.co.us/consprot/CoResourceGuide.cfm#C.

Another helpful Web site is www.privacy.ca.gov/sheets/cis10securityfreeze.htm.