To make it harder for someone to open new credit in your name, place a free security freeze separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Then check your credit reports and financial account activity regularly. A freeze restricts prospective creditors’ access to your credit file; monitoring can help you spot suspicious activity, but it does not prevent identity theft.
What a credit freeze does—and what it does not do
A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, restricts prospective creditors’ access to your credit file. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) describes it as a tool that can make it harder for someone to open a new credit account in your name. It is free, does not affect your credit score, and remains in place until you lift or remove it.
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A freeze is not a lock on every use of your identity or a block on all access to your report. Existing creditors, certain government entities, and companies you have hired to monitor your credit may still access your file in limited circumstances. It does not freeze bank accounts or stop every kind of fraud. [CFPB: What is a credit freeze or security freeze on my credit report?]
How to place a freeze with all three credit bureaus
You must request a freeze separately from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. Use the FTC’s credit bureau contact directory to reach the official freeze page or phone line; the FTC lists these contacts:
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- Equifax: Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or 800-685-1111.
- Experian: Experian.com/help or 888-397-3742.
- TransUnion: TransUnion.com/credit-help or 888-909-8872.
- Open the FTC directory and follow its link to each bureau’s official site or contact route.
- Submit a security-freeze request to each bureau, following its current identity-verification steps.
- Save each confirmation and the login, PIN, or recovery information you will need to manage that bureau’s freeze.
For nationwide consumer reporting companies, CFPB guidance says a freeze must be placed within one business day after a telephone or secure electronic request, or within three business days after a mailed request. The bureau must send written confirmation no later than five business days after placement and explain how to remove the freeze. These requirements do not necessarily apply to every non-nationwide reporting company. [CFPB: freeze placement requirements]
How to lift a freeze when applying for credit
A prospective creditor generally needs access to your file to review an application, so you may need to lift the freeze before applying for a credit card, loan, or other new credit. You can ask for a temporary lift or remove the freeze; either way, contact the bureau or bureaus whose files the creditor will check. The lift is free.
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For a nationwide bureau, CFPB guidance says a lift requested by phone or secure electronic method must be processed within one hour; a lift requested by mail must be processed within three business days. Allow time to confirm the lift is in place before submitting an application. [CFPB: temporary lift timelines]
Freeze or fraud alert: which should you use?
A freeze restricts access to your credit file. A fraud alert instead asks businesses to take steps to verify your identity before certain new-credit actions. Both are free, and you can use both. An alert does not block access to your file.
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| Tool | What it does | How long it lasts | How to place it | Effect on a new credit application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security freeze | Restricts prospective creditors’ access to your credit file. | Until you lift or remove it. | Request separately from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. | You may need to lift it before a creditor can review your file. |
| Initial fraud alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before certain new-credit actions. | Up to one year. | Contact one nationwide bureau; it must notify the other two. | It flags possible identity theft but does not prevent access to the file. |
| Extended fraud alert | Asks businesses to take identity-verification steps for people affected by identity theft. | Seven years. | Available to identity-theft victims who provide the required documentation through the applicable process. | It does not block access to the file. |
FTC guidance explains the alert options and bureau process. If you have experienced identity theft, follow the current recovery steps to determine whether an initial or extended alert is appropriate.
A practical routine for monitoring your credit and accounts
Check all three credit reports
The FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov recovery guidance says you can check your reports free every week through AnnualCreditReport.com. Review each bureau’s report for accounts or inquiries you do not recognize, unfamiliar addresses, and other changes. A credit report is one detection channel, not a complete record of every kind of misuse.
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Review statements and account notices
Check bank and card statements, and pay attention to relevant phone, tax, and other account notices. Look for transactions, account changes, or requests you did not make. Not every misuse appears first on a credit report.
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If a report or statement shows something unfamiliar, contact the named business using contact information you find independently on its official site—not a number or link in a suspicious message. Ask whether the account or activity is legitimate and what steps are needed to secure it. FTC recovery guidance includes reviewing reports and financial activity as part of its identity-theft recovery steps.
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What to do if you suspect identity theft
- Contact the affected business. Reach its fraud department, explain what you found, and ask it to secure or close compromised accounts.
- Secure access. Change passwords and PINs for affected accounts, and follow the institution’s steps to protect them.
- Report the theft. Go to IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC’s process creates an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan tailored to the situation.
- Place a freeze or fraud alert. Freeze your files at all three bureaus and consider an alert if appropriate to your circumstances.
- Review reports and dispute fraudulent information. Follow the relevant bureau’s and business’s current instructions. To request that identity-theft information be blocked from a credit report, FTC guidance says to provide an Identity Theft Report, proof of identity, and a description of the fraudulent information. Keep copies of what you submit.
For additional response steps, see the FTC’s recovery guidance and the CFPB’s identity-theft response advice.
What credit monitoring and identity monitoring services do
A credit monitoring service watches for changes in credit-file information and may send alerts about activity such as new inquiries or accounts. Identity monitoring may look for personal information in credit applications, public records, websites, or other sources. What a service checks—and how quickly it alerts you—varies. The CFPB distinguishes credit monitoring from broader identity monitoring or identity-theft services.
Some paid services may also offer recovery assistance or insurance, but those features and their terms vary. The CFPB cautions that identity-protection services do not prevent identity theft. Monitoring is optional: it can add alerts or support, but free report access, freezes, and fraud alerts are available without a paid plan.
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What to compare before paying
- Which credit bureaus and other data sources the service monitors.
- What activity triggers an alert and how quickly alerts are sent.
- Whether the service offers recovery assistance, and what that assistance covers.
- Any insurance limits, exclusions, and conditions.
- The full price, renewal terms, trial period, and cancellation requirements.
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