Replies to '03/05 Identity Theft, Part 2'

As long as you don't have to apply for a credit card, home or auto loans, and you know EXACTLY how long the period of blocking is, it can protect you.  I don't plan on doing any of that, though.  I don't know if enough of my info (or any) was sent to the wrong address, and it might have been enough to start a fraudulent account, for example. 

You can still use the credit cards you have now, still use the loans you have at present. But it's just a temporary thing, and I'd rather have a pain in the butt, a hold on applying for loans/credit cards than have someone access to my info and apply for multiple loans and screw up my credit.

Also, if you just HAVE to have the "flag" or alert lifted, all you have to do is write a letter to the credit bureau, or just wait for it to expire.

This is what the government says to do if your purse is stolen:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/gettingcredit/loststolen.html

I must say I disagree with your recommendation about requests for flagging credit files. 

When my purse was stolen and the thief went on a very aggressive and massive spending spree, I immediately requested a block with the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). 

I did not experience any difficulty after establishing the blocks.  As of today, I have no regrets about placing those blocks.

Hope it helps!