Freeze your credit reports with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately, then add a fraud alert, report suspected identity theft, inspect your reports and account statements, and secure any exposed bank or payment accounts. A freeze is free, does not change your credit score, and stays in place until you remove it. Do not use links, phone numbers, or instructions supplied by the suspected lender; reach each bureau through current official channels identified by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
This is nationwide U.S. guidance. Bureau procedures and contact paths can change, so confirm the current destinations through the FTC’s consumer guidance before entering personal information.
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Do these things first
- Stop using the fake lender’s contact details. Save emails, texts, application pages, payment records, caller IDs, and dates if you can do so safely. Do not delay protective steps while collecting evidence.
- Start a separate freeze at each nationwide bureau. One request does not freeze all three reports.
- Consider an initial fraud alert. You can request it from one bureau, which must notify the other two.
- Report suspected identity theft. IdentityTheft.gov creates a personalized recovery plan.
- Review credit reports and existing financial accounts. Look for unfamiliar inquiries, accounts, withdrawals, and charges.
- Secure exposed credentials. Contact banks, card issuers, and payment services through independently verified official channels, not through the fake lender.
The order matters because a freeze helps prevent new credit accounts, while a freeze alone does not stop activity on accounts you already have.
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How to place a credit freeze with all three bureaus
The FTC describes a freeze as something you can do at any time and for any reason. It restricts businesses’ access to your credit report, making it harder to open a new credit account in your name. The process is free, does not affect your credit score, and remains active until you lift it.
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1. Freeze Equifax
- Use the current Equifax freeze channel reached through the FTC’s official bureau-contact guidance.
- Follow the bureau’s identity-verification and account-creation instructions. The exact screens and authentication options can change.
- Finish the request and save the confirmation, reference number, and any login or security information the bureau provides. Store those details somewhere the suspected lender cannot access.
2. Freeze Experian
- Open the current Experian freeze channel from the FTC’s official guidance rather than from a message or website supplied by the lender.
- Complete the requested identity checks and submit the freeze.
- Save the confirmation and the instructions for temporarily lifting or removing the freeze.
3. Freeze TransUnion
- Reach TransUnion’s current freeze channel through the FTC’s bureau-contact page.
- Complete the bureau’s verification process and submit the request.
- Keep the confirmation and access details with the records from the other two bureaus.
After completing all three requests, check that you have three separate confirmations. A single freeze request covers only the bureau that received it. If a bureau’s site or process is unavailable, use another official contact method listed by the FTC and document the date and result.
What a freeze protects—and what it cannot do
- It limits access to a credit report. That can make it harder for an impostor to open a new credit account in your name.
- It is free and does not lower your score. Existing scoring models continue to use your report information when a permissible user accesses it.
- It does not close existing cards or loans. Accounts you already have remain open unless you or the issuer closes them.
- It does not stop charges, withdrawals, or transfers on existing accounts. Those require action with the bank, card issuer, or payment provider.
- It does not erase fraudulent information already reported. You must dispute unfamiliar accounts, inquiries, or other entries with the relevant bureau and contact the company involved.
- It does not prevent every form of misuse. A thief may try non-credit scams, account takeover, tax fraud, or other activity that does not require a new credit inquiry.
Freeze versus fraud alert
A fraud alert and a freeze are separate tools, and they can coexist. Choose based on whether you need to block routine report access, expect to apply for credit soon, or want an additional identity-verification signal.
| Option | What it does | Setup | Duration and practical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit freeze | Restricts access to your credit report, helping block new-account applications. | Contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately. | Stays until you lift it. Temporarily lift the relevant bureau’s freeze when applying for credit. |
| Initial fraud alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit; it does not block report access. | Contact any one bureau; that bureau must notify the other two. | Lasts one year and can be renewed. It is free. |
| Extended fraud alert | Also asks businesses to verify your identity and does not block report access. | Available after identity theft, with an FTC identity-theft report or police report as required by the bureaus. | Lasts seven years and is free. |
An alert may create extra verification when a legitimate creditor checks your file, but it does not provide the access restriction of a freeze. If you are unsure whether misuse occurred, you can still freeze your reports; confirmed identity theft is not required.
When and how to add a fraud alert
- Choose one of the three bureaus and use its current official fraud-alert channel.
- Provide the requested contact and identity information.
- Confirm that the alert was accepted and note its expiration date.
- Check that the bureau says it will notify the other two. You do not need to submit three separate initial-alert requests.
Renew an initial alert before its one-year term ends if you still want it. If you later obtain an FTC identity-theft report or qualifying police report, ask the bureau whether you meet the requirements for a seven-year extended alert.
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Report the fake lender and create a recovery plan
Use IdentityTheft.gov when you suspect your information has been misused or an account may have been opened in your name. The FTC service produces a tailored recovery plan based on what happened. Follow the plan’s instructions for notices, disputes, replacement documents, and other remedies that apply to your situation.
Keep a simple incident file containing the lender’s names and domains, messages, application dates, payment receipts, account numbers, bureau confirmations, and copies of disputes. Record whom you contacted, when, and what the organization told you. This documentation can help when a bank, creditor, bureau, or law-enforcement agency asks for a timeline. Do not send original identity documents unless an official organization specifically requires them through a verified channel.
Inspect every credit report for unfamiliar activity
Obtain and read your reports from all three bureaus. A fake lender may have made a hard inquiry, opened an account, supplied an address, or reported a balance. Compare the reports because an item can appear at one bureau but not the others.
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- Mark every account, inquiry, employer, address, and personal identifier you do not recognize.
- Check the dates against your contact with the lender. An inquiry immediately after an application may be legitimate, while an account or inquiry you never authorized needs investigation.
- Dispute an inaccurate or fraudulent entry with the bureau that displays it, following that bureau’s current dispute instructions.
- Contact the company that furnished the information and state that the account or inquiry is fraudulent. Keep copies of your submission and any response.
- Continue checking for new entries after the initial review. A freeze reduces new-account risk but does not remove information already reported.
Review bank, card, and payment statements
Read recent and pending transactions on checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, credit cards, digital wallets, and payment services whose details you shared. Look for small test charges as well as large withdrawals; an unfamiliar transaction can be a sign that credentials were used.
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- Call the institution using the number on a statement, the back of a card, or its independently verified official website.
- Explain which credentials or account details were exposed and identify each unauthorized transaction.
- Ask what the institution recommends: replacing the card or account number, placing a security restriction, changing online access, or closing the affected account.
- Change the exposed password and PIN, and do not reuse either on another service.
- Enable available multi-factor authentication and transaction alerts after access is secured.
- Continue watching pending transactions and statements during the institution’s investigation.
A credit freeze cannot reverse a scam payment and cannot prevent charges on an existing account. Only the affected financial institution can tell you which error, fraud, or payment-recall process applies.
If you need to apply for credit while frozen
A freeze can remain in place while you apply for a legitimate loan, card, apartment, utility service, or other product that checks credit. First ask the provider which bureau it will use and when it expects to check your report.
- Identify the specific bureau, or bureaus, the provider will access.
- Sign in to that bureau’s official freeze-management channel and request a temporary lift for the period the provider needs.
- Give the provider the lift dates or any confirmation code the bureau supplies.
- After the credit check, return to the bureau’s official channel and restore the freeze if it was set to expire temporarily. If you do not know which bureau will be checked, coordinate with multiple bureaus or ask the provider before submitting an application.
Do not permanently remove all three freezes merely because a lender says it cannot proceed. A targeted, time-limited lift limits exposure while preserving protection elsewhere.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Freezing only one report
Nationwide bureaus maintain separate files. Confirm three completed freezes, not just one confirmation email or screen.
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Using a link from the suspected lender
A scammer can redirect you to a look-alike page or a phone number controlled by the scam. Start from the FTC’s current consumer guidance and navigate to each bureau yourself.
Assuming a fraud alert is a freeze
An alert requests identity verification but still permits report access. If your priority is preventing new-account access, place the freezes first.
Waiting for proof before acting
The FTC says you do not need confirmed identity theft to freeze your reports. Preserve evidence as practical, but do not wait for a police report or a completed investigation before freezing.
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Ignoring existing accounts
Reviewing credit reports will not reveal every unauthorized debit, card charge, or wallet transfer. Inspect statements and contact each affected institution separately.
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Paying for a freeze
The federal consumer guidance describes freezes and the listed fraud alerts as free. Be cautious if a caller demands payment, asks for gift cards, or insists that you buy monitoring before taking protective action.
If an account was already opened in your name
Treat the account as identity theft even if the fake lender promised approval and never delivered money. Keep the account number, opening date, creditor name, and all communications. Dispute the entry with the bureau that reports it and notify the creditor’s fraud department. Ask the creditor what documents it needs to investigate and whether it can close or restrict the account.
Continue following the personalized steps from IdentityTheft.gov. If the creditor or bureau requests an identity-theft report, provide the report generated through that service or other documentation the organization specifically accepts. Keep delivery confirmations and response deadlines in your incident file.
Protect the accounts and identity details that were exposed
Different information creates different risks. If you gave the fake lender only a name and address, monitor reports and statements closely. If you provided a Social Security number, account login, debit-card number, bank routing information, or identity-document details, tell the relevant institution exactly what was disclosed so it can apply the appropriate controls.
- Change passwords for any exposed account and for other accounts that reused the same password.
- Use unique passwords and multi-factor authentication where available.
- Change a PIN if it was shared or could be guessed from exposed information.
- Ask the bank or card issuer whether it should replace an account number, card, or online-access credential.
- Review email and mobile-account security because control of those channels can enable password resets.
- Be skeptical of follow-up calls claiming to be investigators, bureaus, or government agents. Verify them independently before disclosing anything.
A practical follow-up schedule
Today
- Complete all three freezes.
- Request an initial fraud alert if you want an additional verification step.
- Report suspected identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
- Notify banks, card issuers, and payment services about exposed credentials or transactions.
Within the next few days
- Read every bureau report and list unfamiliar entries.
- Submit disputes to the relevant bureaus and companies.
- Change passwords and PINs, replace compromised cards or account numbers, and enable alerts.
- Organize confirmations, reports, correspondence, and deadlines.
During the following months
- Review statements and new report activity regularly.
- Track dispute responses and complete any requested documentation.
- Renew an initial fraud alert before its one-year expiration if needed.
- Keep freezes active unless a legitimate application requires a temporary lift.
Limits of this nationwide guidance
The steps above address U.S. nationwide credit files and the three nationwide bureaus. State laws, local police-report procedures, identity-document replacement rules, and creditor requirements can differ. If the fake lender obtained information about a child, a business, a professional license, or a non-U.S. credit file, additional procedures may apply. The FTC’s consumer guidance and the bureaus’ current official instructions are the appropriate places to verify changing contact paths and requirements.
"A credit freeze is something you can do anytime, for any reason." — Federal Trade Commission consumer guidance
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