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Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
Credit freezes and fraud alerts can help protect you from identity theft by making it harder for scammers to open new credit accounts in your name. They can also help stop someone who already stole your identity from misusing it again. Here’s what to know about what credit freezes and fraud alerts do and how to use them.
What To Know About Credit Freezes
Freezing your credit can help stop identity theft. When a credit freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name. There’s no cost to place or lift a credit freeze, and it doesn’t affect your credit score.
You don’t have to wait for your Social Security number or other information to be exposed in a data breach or misused by an identity thief to get a credit freeze. Anyone can do it, any time.
Credit Freeze
What it does: While a credit freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you. If you need to do things like apply for new credit or a job, rent an apartment, or buy insurance, you can temporarily lift the freeze and put it back when you’re done.
A credit freeze is always a good idea, but it’s even more important if your Social Security number or other information is exposed in a data breach or if an identity thief has misused your information.
Who can place one: Anyone can freeze their credit report, for any reason, even if their identity hasn’t been stolen.
How long it lasts: A credit freeze lasts until you lift it.
Cost: Free
How to place one: Contact all three of the credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
When to lift one: Contact the bureau(s) to request it be lifted when you need lenders to access your credit. It is a good idea to identify which bureau a lender will use to check your credit and just lift the freeze at that one bureau, and then put the freeze back in place once the need for a credit check passes.
What To Know About Fraud Alerts
Even if you already have a credit freeze in place, you can also place a fraud alert. Fraud alerts make lenders verify your identity before they grant new credit in your name. There are three types of alerts, and which is best depends on your situation and needs.
Initial fraud alert
What it does: An initial fraud alert tells businesses to check with you before opening a new credit account in your name. Usually, that means contacting you first to make sure the person trying to open a new account is really you. Unlike a credit freeze, a fraud alert doesn’t prevent businesses from seeing your credit report.
Who can place one: Anyone who is or suspects they may be affected by identity theft. When you place an initial fraud alert on your credit report, you can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus.
How long it lasts: An initial fraud alert lasts one year, but you can renew it.
Cost: Free
How to place one: Contact one of the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You don’t have to contact all three. The credit bureau you contact must tell the other two to place an initial fraud alert on your credit report.
Extended fraud alert
What it does: Like an initial fraud alert, an extended fraud alert tells businesses to check with you before opening a new credit account in your name, and doesn’t prevent businesses from seeing your credit report.
An extended fraud alert also requires the credit bureaus to take you off their marketing lists for unsolicited credit and insurance offers for five years, unless you ask them not to.
Who can place one: People who have experienced identity theft and have completed an FTC identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov or filed a police report.
How long it lasts: An extended fraud alert lasts seven years. You’ll have the choice to renew it, but you’ll have to resubmit your FTC identity theft report or police report.
Cost: Free
How to place one: Contact one of the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You don’t have to contact all three. The credit bureau you contact must tell the other two to place an extended fraud alert on your credit report.
Active duty alert
What it does: As an active duty servicemember, placing an active duty fraud alert tells businesses to check with you before opening a new credit account in your name. Usually, that means contacting you first to make sure the person trying to open a new account is really you.
An active duty fraud alert also requires the credit bureaus to take you off their marketing lists for unsolicited credit and insurance offers for two years, unless you ask them not to.
Who can place one: Active duty servicemembers.
How long it lasts: An active duty fraud alert lasts one year. After a year, you’ll have the choice to renew it for the length of your deployment.
Cost: Free
How to place one: Contact one of the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. You don’t have to contact all three. The credit bureau you contact must tell the other two to place an active duty fraud alert on your credit report.
Free credit monitoring for active duty servicemembers and National Guard members
Active duty servicemembers and National Guard members can also get free electronic credit monitoring to help detect problems that might be the result of identity theft. To sign up, contact each of the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Freezing Your Child’s Credit
If your child is under 16, request a free credit freeze to make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your child's name. The freeze stays in place until you tell the credit bureaus to remove it. The process for getting a freeze for a minor is different than getting one for an adult. The credit bureaus give specific instructions at these three sites:
Get Your Free Credit Reports
It’s also a good idea to regularly check what’s in your credit report. Accounts in your name that you don’t recognize could be a sign of identity theft. Here’s how to get your free credit reports.