Safety & hygiene
Protecting Credit
Lock your reports, respond quickly to identity theft, and keep your information safe. This is an educational overview—always confirm details with each bureau.
- Bureaus to contact3
- Cost to lock reportsFreeze = Free
- Investigation window30 days
- Monitor bank + credit alerts24/7
Blocks new credit until you lift it with your PIN.
Contact each bureau online or by mail. Existing accounts keep reporting.
Tells lenders to confirm your identity before opening new credit.
Lasts one year and can be renewed. One bureau notifies the others.
Stronger alert for confirmed identity theft victims.
Lasts seven years and needs an FTC or police report. Removes you from prescreened offers.
For deployed service members so lenders double-check identity.
Lasts one year and can be renewed.
Paid app from a bureau that works like a freeze.
Cannot be on at the same time as a freeze. Unlock it before you apply for credit.
- 1. Contact the company, freeze or close the account, and dispute any charges you did not make.
- 2. Place a fraud alert or freeze by contacting one bureau—the one you call will tell the others.
- 3. File a report at IdentityTheft.gov and consider filing a police report.
- 4. Check each credit report and dispute every fraudulent item right away.
- 5. Change passwords, turn on two-factor authentication, and use a password manager.
- 6. Store important papers safely and shred sensitive mail before you toss it.
- Use unique passwords for each account; a manager helps keep them safe.
- Turn on two-factor authentication wherever available.
- Ignore suspicious links, texts, or calls—contact the institution directly if unsure.
- Monitor bank and credit accounts frequently, especially when autopay is enabled.