Identity theft often starts with a single mistake: a lender approves an application that was not yours. Two free tools reduce the chance of that. A freeze closes the door, and a fraud alert adds a checkpoint.
Freeze or alert?
Credit freeze
- Blocks most new creditors from viewing your file
- Free to place, lift and replace
- Lasts until you lift it
- Does not affect your score
Fraud alert
- Not a block: existing accounts and some checks still pass
- Must be placed at each of the three bureaus
- You must lift it when you apply for credit yourself
- Freeze
- A restriction on access to your credit report at one bureau. It stays until you remove it.
- Thaw
- Lifting a freeze, for a time or for good, usually with a PIN or an online login.
- Initial fraud alert
- A notice on your file asking businesses to verify identity. It lasts one year and can be renewed.
- Extended fraud alert
- A longer alert for people who have already been a victim of identity theft and filed a report. It lasts seven years.
How to place a freeze
Create an account at each bureau
Do this on the bureau's own website. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each run one.
Place the freeze
Choose the freeze option and write down the PIN or confirm how you will unlock it.
Add the extras if you wish
Some smaller reporting agencies, for example for tenant or bank account screening, have their own freezes.
Store your details safely
Keep the PINs and logins in a password manager, not in your email.
Day 0
Place the freeze
Online or by phone. It normally takes effect within about a day.
When you apply
Thaw it
Lift it before a loan, card or apartment application, and name the lender if the bureau asks.
After
Freeze again
Put it back once the lender has checked.
Common mistakes
Freezing at only one bureau. The others stay open.
Losing the PIN. Store it in a password manager so you can lift the freeze when you need credit.
Forgetting to lift it. A lender will not see your file until you thaw it, which can delay an application.
When to review
Before you apply for a loan, a mortgage or an apartment.
After a data breach that includes your details.
Once a year, to check that the freezes are still in place.
Questions people ask
Does a freeze stop me from using my existing cards?
No. Your current accounts keep working, and existing creditors can still review your file. A freeze only blocks most new applications.
Do I need to freeze at all three bureaus?
Yes. Each bureau keeps its own file, and a freeze at one does not cover the others. Place it at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Sources
Written from these pages and checked against them on October 5, 2026. Programs and rules change, so check the provider’s current terms before you decide.
General information, not financial, legal or travel advice. Your own card terms and the provider’s current rules always come first.