If your personal information was exposed in the United States, place a free credit freeze separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You may also place a free initial fraud alert by contacting any one of the three bureaus; that bureau must notify the other two. A freeze restricts access to your credit file, while an alert tells lenders to verify your identity without blocking access to the report.
Use the official bureau channels, keep each confirmation, and check existing accounts as well as new-credit activity. These steps make new-account fraud harder, but they do not close fraudulent accounts or stop misuse of an account you already have.
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What to do first after an exposure
This is U.S. guidance for the three nationwide credit bureaus. A data exposure does not automatically mean someone has opened an account in your name, so start by protecting access to your credit files and then look for evidence of misuse.
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- Freeze all three credit files. A freeze is free, does not change your credit score, and remains until you remove it.
- Consider an initial fraud alert. You contact only one bureau, and it must notify the other two. The alert is free and lasts one year.
- Inspect reports and account statements. Look for unfamiliar credit inquiries, accounts, charges, withdrawals, address changes, or password-reset notices.
- Report confirmed identity theft. IdentityTheft.gov creates a personalized recovery plan. A freeze protects new-credit access; it does not by itself resolve fraud on existing accounts.
Do not wait for proof of a fraudulent account before freezing your files. The Federal Trade Commission says a credit freeze is something you can do anytime, for any reason.
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Credit freeze versus fraud alert
The protections overlap, but they work differently. Choose based on how much control you want over access to your reports and whether you expect to apply for credit soon.
| Protection | What it does | Where to request it | Duration and eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit freeze | Restricts access to your credit file, making it harder to open new credit. It does not block access to existing accounts. | Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately. | Free; available to anyone; stays in place until lifted. |
| Initial fraud alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before extending new credit. Businesses can still see your report. | Any one of the three bureaus; that bureau notifies the other two. | Free; one year; available if you are affected by, or suspect you may be affected by, identity theft; renewable. |
| Extended fraud alert | Requests identity verification and removes you from certain unsolicited credit and insurance marketing lists. | Any one bureau; it notifies the other two. | Free; seven years; requires identity theft plus an FTC identity-theft report or police report. |
| Active-duty alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before extending new credit. | Any one bureau. | Free; for active-duty service members; one year, with renewal tied to deployment. |
The FTC says a freeze and an alert can coexist. A freeze is the stronger restriction on report access. An alert is less disruptive when you need lenders to review your file, but it relies on businesses following the verification request and does not make the report unavailable.
How to freeze your credit with all three bureaus
A freeze at one bureau does not automatically cover the others. Submit a separate request to each nationwide bureau and retain the confirmation, account credentials, and any personal identification number the bureau provides.
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1. Prepare before you start
- Have your current name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number available for identity verification.
- Use a private device and a secure connection. Type the bureau address yourself or reach it through the FTC’s consumer guidance rather than following an unsolicited email or text.
- Create or secure the login used for each bureau. Use a different password for every account and store recovery details safely.
- Record the date, confirmation number, and instructions for temporarily lifting the freeze.
2. Submit the Equifax request
Use Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or call 800-685-1111. Follow the identity-verification prompts, select the option to place a security freeze, and save the confirmation when the request is accepted.
3. Submit the Experian request
Use Experian.com/help or call 888-397-3742. Choose the freeze option rather than a commercial credit-lock product, complete verification, and retain the confirmation and removal instructions.
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4. Submit the TransUnion request
Use TransUnion.com/credit-help or call 888-909-8872. Request the security freeze, complete the bureau’s verification, and save the resulting confirmation.
5. Confirm that each freeze is active
Sign in to each bureau account or use its telephone status option to verify that the freeze is active. Check that the contact information on file is correct; an old address or inaccessible email can make a later lift harder. Recheck the official FTC or bureau pages before using these routes because web addresses and telephone routing can change.
How to place an initial fraud alert
An initial fraud alert is free, lasts one year, and may be renewed. It is available when you are affected by identity theft or reasonably suspect that you may be. You do not need to contact all three bureaus.
- Choose any one of Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion and use its official website or telephone channel.
- Request an initial fraud alert and complete the identity-verification process.
- Provide a reliable telephone number or other contact method that lenders can use to verify applications.
- Save the confirmation and the alert’s expiration date.
- Allow the bureau you contacted to notify the other two. You should not have to submit three separate alert requests.
Businesses may still access your report while the alert is active. The alert asks them to take reasonable steps to verify that an applicant is really you; it does not automatically reject an application or prevent every fraudulent transaction.
When an extended or active-duty alert is appropriate
Extended fraud alert: seven years with documentation
Request an extended alert only after identity theft has occurred and you have completed an FTC identity-theft report or filed a police report. The alert is free and lasts seven years. It carries an additional marketing restriction: the bureaus must remove you from certain unsolicited credit and insurance offers for five years unless you ask to remain on those lists.
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The identity-theft report or police report is an eligibility requirement, not an optional attachment. If your information was exposed but you have no evidence of identity theft and have not made one of those reports, use a freeze and, if appropriate, an initial alert instead.
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An active-duty alert is for an active-duty service member. It lasts one year and can be renewed for the length of deployment. Contact any one bureau, which will notify the other two. This status is separate from an extended alert; do not request it unless you meet the active-duty requirement.
What to check after the protections are placed
Review all three credit reports
Look for accounts, inquiries, collection entries, addresses, employers, or public-record information you do not recognize. A freeze does not erase inaccurate information and an alert does not investigate it. Note the creditor name, account number, date opened, and contact information for anything suspicious.
Check existing financial accounts
Review bank, credit-card, brokerage, payment-app, utility, and mobile-phone statements for unfamiliar transactions. Change passwords and enable multifactor authentication on affected accounts. Contact the institution through a number on a statement or its official website, not a number supplied in an unexpected message.
Report confirmed identity theft
When you find evidence that someone used your identity, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the personalized recovery plan. The plan can help organize creditor notifications, document requests, and dispute steps. Keep copies of the report, correspondence, dates, and case numbers.
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Contact the affected bank or card issuer immediately to lock or replace the account and dispute unauthorized transactions under that institution’s process. A credit freeze deals mainly with new-credit access; it does not stop a thief who already has access to an open account.
Applying for legitimate credit while your files are frozen
A freeze does not permanently prevent you from getting a loan, card, apartment, insurance policy, or other service that uses a credit report. It means you must plan access for the specific application.
- Ask the lender which bureau or bureaus it will check. Do not lift every freeze automatically.
- Sign in to the relevant bureau account or call its official number and request a temporary lift for the lender’s timeframe. If available, you can specify a date range or a particular creditor.
- Give the lender time to complete its check, then verify that the freeze is restored. If you removed it permanently, place a new freeze afterward.
The FTC says bureaus must process online or telephone freeze requests within one business day. They must process a request to lift a freeze within one hour when submitted online or by phone. Requests sent by mail can take up to three business days. Build that timing into a mortgage, rental, employment, or utility application and ask the lender whether it checks more than one bureau.
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A freeze is not the same as a credit lock
Use the legally defined security-freeze option. A bureau may also advertise a commercial “credit lock” product with different terms, features, or dispute procedures. Do not assume that activating a lock creates the same protection as placing a freeze.
Do not assume an alert blocks the report
A fraud alert tells businesses to verify your identity; it does not limit access to your report. If you want report access restricted, place freezes with all three bureaus even if an alert is also active.
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Do not claim that a freeze prevents all identity theft
Someone can still misuse an existing card or bank account, take over an online account, submit a fraudulent tax filing, or use exposed information in a context that does not require a credit check. Continue monitoring statements, login activity, mail, and government notices.
Watch for impersonation and paid “activation” demands
The freeze and alert procedures described here are free. Be skeptical of callers or messages demanding payment, gift cards, remote access, or a one-time code to “activate” a freeze. Navigate to the official bureau route yourself and never disclose a verification code to an unsolicited contact.
Keep a written incident file
Record when the exposure was announced, which bureaus you contacted, confirmation numbers, alert expiration dates, creditor contacts, disputes, and promised follow-up dates. Store copies in a protected location. This record prevents missed renewals and gives you a timeline if an account later appears.
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Use a freeze alone when maximum restriction is the priority
Freezing all three files is appropriate when you do not expect to apply for credit soon and want to restrict routine access for new-credit decisions. You can lift only the bureau needed for a legitimate application.
Use a freeze plus an initial alert when you want layered protection
The two measures can coexist. The freeze limits routine access, while the alert adds an identity-verification request when a business does review your file. This combination is reasonable after an exposure when you want both controls and can manage occasional lifts.
Use an initial alert when near-term applications make freezes impractical
If you are actively applying for a mortgage, lease, card, or other credit and need several businesses to review your reports, an alert may be less disruptive. Remember that it does not block access, so monitor closely and consider freezes after the application period.
Use an extended alert only with the required report
The seven-year term is reserved for documented identity theft. Submit the FTC identity-theft report or police report first, then request the extended alert through one bureau.
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| Action | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze placed | Date, bureau, confirmation, and lift method. | The freeze remains until you remove it, and each bureau is separate. |
| Initial alert | Start date and one-year expiration date. | Renewal is available, but it is not indefinite. |
| Extended alert | Start date, seven-year expiration, and report documentation. | Eligibility depends on identity-theft documentation. |
| Active-duty alert | Start date, deployment period, and renewal date. | The one-year period can be renewed for the length of deployment. |
| Temporary lift | Bureau lifted, lender, start and end dates. | Restoring the freeze closes the temporary access window. |
What the protections can and cannot accomplish
- Can: make it harder for a thief to open new credit in your name by restricting or flagging access to your reports.
- Can: give legitimate lenders a defined process for verification or temporary access.
- Cannot: automatically close, refund, or correct a fraudulent existing account.
- Cannot: guarantee that every business will detect identity theft or that every type of fraud uses a credit report.
- Cannot: replace password changes, account monitoring, creditor disputes, or an identity-theft report when misuse is confirmed.
Start with the three freezes, add the alert that matches your situation, and use IdentityTheft.gov’s recovery plan if you find actual identity theft. Keep the controls active until you deliberately decide that the exposure no longer warrants them.
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