The federal toolkit for protecting your credit is free and strong. Here is how a credit freeze works, when a fraud alert fits instead, how to monitor for free, and exactly what to do if you are already a victim.
Before this: How to Get Your Credit Reports Free
Key takeaways
- A credit freeze is free, lasts until you lift it, and must be placed at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).
- A fraud alert is also free, requires contacting only one bureau (it notifies the others), and lasts one year.
- Free weekly credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com are your best ongoing monitoring tool.
- If theft has already happened, IdentityTheft.gov gives you a free personalized recovery plan and pre-filled dispute letters.
The federal government has spent years building a free, powerful toolkit for protecting your credit from identity theft. A 2018 law made credit freezes free for everyone 2 . Fraud alerts are also free 1 . Weekly credit reports from all three bureaus are free and permanent 5 . If theft happens anyway, IdentityTheft.gov walks you through recovery at no cost 3 .
Paid identity protection services exist, and some people find them convenient. But the law already gives you the strongest tools for free.
The credit freeze: your strongest option
A credit freeze (also called a security freeze) restricts access to your credit file 1 . When your file is frozen, lenders cannot pull it to evaluate a new credit application. That means a thief who has your personal information still cannot open a new account in your name, because there is no report for a lender to read.
A few things the freeze does not do: it does not affect accounts you already have, it does not block soft inquiries (like you checking your own report), and it does not affect your credit score in any way 1 .
How to place one. You must contact all three bureaus separately: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion 1 . Each bureau is required to place your freeze within one business day when you request it online or by phone 1 . The freeze stays in place until you lift it; there is no expiration 1 .
What about a credit lock? Bureau websites often offer a proprietary “credit lock” alongside the free freeze. Locks may be faster to toggle on and off, but they are a bureau product: the federal legal protections that apply to a freeze do not automatically extend to a lock 1 . The freeze is free and carries those legal protections; a lock is optional convenience, not a replacement.
The fraud alert: lighter-touch, one bureau
A fraud alert tells creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name 1 . It is a softer signal than a freeze: it does not block access to your report, but it flags that verification should be done 1 .
The practical advantage: you only have to contact one bureau, and that bureau is required to notify the other two 1 . An initial fraud alert lasts one year 2 , a term set by the same 2018 federal law that made freezes free. You can renew it, and placing a fraud alert also entitles you to a free credit report from each bureau 1 .
A fraud alert asks lenders to verify your identity. A freeze makes your file unavailable to them entirely. Both are free, so choose based on how much friction you want.
When a fraud alert may be the better fit. If you are actively applying for credit (shopping for a mortgage, a car loan, or a new card), a freeze requires lifting and re-freezing, which adds friction. A fraud alert keeps your file accessible while still flagging that extra verification is needed. It is also the right call if you want protection quickly and across all three bureaus in one contact.
Freeze vs. fraud alert: a plain comparison
| Credit Freeze | Fraud Alert | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free |
| How many bureaus to contact | All three | One (it notifies the others) |
| Duration | Until you lift it | One year (renewable) |
| Effect on new credit applications | Blocks them | Requires extra identity verification |
| Effect on existing accounts | None | None |
| Effect on credit score | None | None |
Free monitoring: your early-warning system
Neither a freeze nor a fraud alert catches fraud on accounts you already have. They only protect against new accounts being opened. For everything else, the best tool is your free credit reports.
Since October 2023, you have permanent free access to weekly reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only federally authorized source 5 . Pulling your own report is a soft inquiry and never affects your score.
A practical approach: stagger the bureaus. Pull one every few weeks rather than all three at once. That way you have a rolling view across the year rather than three reports on one day and nothing for 51 weeks. If you have placed a freeze, you can still pull your own reports: the freeze only restricts lender access, not yours.
If your identity has already been stolen
Finding an account you did not open, or getting a call from a debt collector about a debt you do not recognize, is alarming. The steps are manageable.
Start at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC’s recovery site asks you what happened and generates a free, personalized recovery plan that walks you through each step 3 4 . It pre-fills letters to creditors and bureaus so you are not drafting from scratch 3 . Report there first before calling anyone else.
Contact the companies where fraud happened. Call the fraud department of each company where an account was opened or tampered with and ask them to freeze or close the affected accounts 3 . Get the name of the person you spoke with and ask for confirmation in writing.
Place a fraud alert or freeze, now if you have not already. If you have not yet frozen your credit, this is the moment. A freeze prevents additional fraudulent accounts; a fraud alert triggers extra verification. Consider an extended fraud alert (seven years) if the theft was serious 4 .
Monitor closely after reporting. Check your reports frequently in the weeks after you report: free weekly at AnnualCreditReport.com 4 5 . Recovery is not always a single step; new fraudulent accounts can sometimes appear after the initial incident.
The honest case for paid products
Credit monitoring services and identity protection subscriptions typically offer real-time alerts, dark-web scanning, and sometimes insurance or restoration assistance. Some people find the alerts and automation genuinely useful.
What they do not offer is protection the free federal tools cannot match on the core issue: no paid product prevents fraud more effectively than a credit freeze. A freeze backed by federal law blocks lender access to your file; a bureau credit lock or a monitoring subscription does not replicate that legal protection 1 . If you want the strongest barrier, place the free freeze. If you want convenience features on top of that, a paid service is your call.
The free federal toolkit covers: the strongest protection (freeze), a lighter alert (fraud alert), ongoing monitoring (weekly free reports), and recovery guidance (IdentityTheft.gov). You do not have to pay for any of it.
Sources
Every factual claim in this guide traces to an official source. Last reviewed June 2026.
CreditGlow is educational content, not individualized financial advice. We explain how credit works in general, not what's right for your specific situation. For decisions about your credit, check the official sources cited or talk to a qualified professional.