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If your Social Security number (SSN) was exposed, request a free credit freeze from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately. Save each confirmation, then obtain all three credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you find an account, inquiry, or transaction you do not recognize, report the identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov and follow its recovery plan.
A freeze restricts access to your credit report, making it harder for a thief to open a new credit account in your name. It does not erase fraud that already happened, stop every possible use of an SSN, or automatically alert you to misuse. The instructions below show how to place the freezes, check for damage, respond to fraudulent information, and temporarily lift a freeze when you need legitimate credit.
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What a credit freeze does after an SSN exposure
A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, limits who can access your credit report. Because most lenders and many service providers review a credit report before opening an account, restricting access can prevent or discourage a criminal from opening new credit in your name. The Federal Trade Commission summarizes the purpose this way: “A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name.”
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What the freeze can help prevent
- New credit-card, loan, or other credit accounts opened using your identity.
- Some new services that use a credit report to approve an applicant, such as a mobile-phone account.
- Credit inquiries made by businesses that cannot obtain your report while the freeze is active.
What the freeze cannot undo or cover
- Accounts that were opened before you froze your files.
- Fraudulent balances, withdrawals, or transactions that already exist.
- Every use of an SSN. The FTC separately identifies tax identity theft and employment-related misuse as risks that a credit freeze does not resolve.
- Access by businesses or government agencies that have a legally permitted purpose other than opening new credit.
Those limits make the follow-up report review and identity-theft steps essential. A freeze is a barrier against additional new-account fraud, not a complete investigation or cleanup service.
Gather what you need before contacting the bureaus
Set aside a way to record the date, confirmation number, login details, and any instructions each bureau gives you. The FTC’s contact guidance directs consumers to use the bureaus’ own sites or telephone numbers rather than an intermediary.
- Your full name, current address, previous address if requested, date of birth, and SSN.
- A secure email address or phone number for account access and notices.
- A notebook or digital file for three confirmation records.
- Identification and address documents if a bureau asks you to provide them. The exact verification sequence can vary, so follow the bureau’s current instructions.
Use a private connection and a unique password for each bureau account. Do not email your SSN or identity documents to an address you found in an unsolicited message. Navigate directly to the listed bureau domain.
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Complete all three requests in one sitting if possible. A request at one bureau does not automatically freeze the other two.
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Request the Equifax freeze
Use Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or call 800-685-1111. Choose the security-freeze option, complete the identity checks, and save the confirmation or account details shown at the end.
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Request the Experian freeze
Use Experian.com/help or call 888-397-3742. Follow the current freeze instructions, retain the confirmation, and note how you will sign in later if you need a temporary lift.
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Request the TransUnion freeze
Use TransUnion.com/credit-help or call 888-909-8872. Finish the security-freeze request and store the resulting confirmation information with the other two records.
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Contact details and online workflows can change. If a page’s labels differ from these instructions, stay on the bureau’s official domain and select its security-freeze or credit-freeze service. The FTC’s consumer guidance is a useful cross-check when you are unsure which bureau contact route is current.
Keep a freeze log
Record the bureau, date requested, confirmation number, username, recovery method, and any instructions for lifting the freeze. Keep the log somewhere separate from the exposed information. You may need these details when applying for credit, moving, replacing a phone, or checking whether a freeze is still active.
Check every credit report for signs of misuse
After requesting the freezes, obtain reports from all three bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com. The FTC says consumers can check their reports weekly for free. Looking at one report is not enough: lenders may report to only one or two bureaus, so an unfamiliar item can appear in one file but not the others.
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Review these sections
- Accounts: Look for credit cards, loans, collections, or lenders you never contacted.
- Personal information: Check unfamiliar names, addresses, employers, or variations of your identity.
- Inquiries: Identify applications you did not make. An inquiry by itself does not prove an account was opened, but it is a reason to investigate.
- Balances and payment history: Look for new debt, late payments, or credit limits that do not belong to you.
Download or securely save each report and mark the exact bureau, account number, date, and dollar amount for every item you question. Keep copies of statements, letters, emails, and screenshots. Do not rely on memory when you later dispute an item.
What to do when you find an account or transaction you do not recognize
1. Contact the company involved
Call the lender, creditor, bank, utility, or other company shown in the record. Use a phone number from its official statement or website, not a number supplied by a suspicious caller or message. Explain that the account or transaction resulted from identity theft, ask what documentation it requires, and request that the account be closed or restricted while it investigates. Keep the representative’s name, date, case number, and promised next step.
2. Create an FTC Identity Theft Report
Go to IdentityTheft.gov and complete the report. The FTC can generate an Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan. Save the report, plan, and any confirmation information; companies and credit bureaus may ask for them when you dispute fraud.
3. Dispute inaccurate credit-report information
Dispute each fraudulent item with every bureau that lists it. Identify the account or transaction precisely, explain that it resulted from identity theft, and include copies—not originals—of supporting documents. The FTC describes a block request as requiring an Identity Theft Report, proof of identity, and a letter identifying the fraudulent information. Follow the bureau’s current submission instructions and retain delivery evidence for mailed disputes.
4. Ask for a block when the item is identity-theft fraud
A block request asks a bureau to prevent fraudulent information from appearing in your report. Include the FTC Identity Theft Report, proof of identity, and a clear list of the information to block. If the bureau or creditor asks for more documentation, provide it through the channel specified in its notice. Continue checking your reports for related accounts or new inquiries.
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5. Keep a recovery file
Use one folder for the FTC report, bureau reports, correspondence, affidavits, police reports if you make one, account statements, and delivery confirmations. Write down every call and deadline. A chronological record helps you show what happened and prevents you from sending inconsistent information to different companies.
Freeze versus fraud alert: choose the protection that fits
A freeze is stronger for blocking routine access to your credit file, but it requires three separate requests. A fraud alert is a notification to prospective creditors that you may be a victim; it asks them to take additional identity-verification steps.
| Protection | Who can place it | How many bureaus you contact | Duration | What a creditor must do | Effect on a legitimate application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit freeze | Anyone | All three separately | Until you lift or remove it | Access to the frozen report is restricted; the freeze does not require a creditor to call you for every application | You may need to lift or remove the freeze before a lender or service provider can review your report |
| One-year fraud alert | Anyone who suspects identity theft or fraud | One nationwide bureau; that bureau must notify the other two | One year | The business must take reasonable steps to verify the applicant’s identity before issuing credit | Usually adds verification rather than blocking report access; allow extra time for an application |
| Extended fraud alert | Identity-theft victims | Contact the bureaus as directed | Seven years | The business must take reasonable steps to verify identity; the alert is tied to an FTC Identity Theft Report under FTC guidance | Expect additional verification and possible follow-up during applications |
You can use a freeze and a fraud alert together. The alert tells a creditor to verify you; the freeze limits access unless you authorize it. If you have evidence of actual identity theft, the extended alert may be appropriate after you obtain the FTC report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Plan for applications while your files are frozen
A freeze does not prevent you from using existing credit cards or loans. It affects a new application or another service that checks a credit report. Before applying, ask the company which bureau it uses and whether it needs a temporary lift or a permanent removal.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Confirm which bureau the business will check and the date or range in which it will pull your report.
- Sign in to that bureau’s official account or use its current telephone process to request a temporary lift. If you do not know which bureau will be checked, you may need to arrange access with more than one.
- Choose a lift period that covers the application but does not leave the file open longer than necessary.
- After the lender or provider confirms it has completed the check, verify that the freeze is active again. Save the lift and restoration confirmations.
The FTC says a freeze can be lifted or removed. A temporary lift preserves the freeze afterward; removal ends it until you place a new freeze. Do not remove all three simply because one application is pending when a targeted lift will work.
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Understand the freeze’s limits beyond credit reports
Existing fraudulent accounts require separate cleanup
If a thief already opened an account, freezing your reports will not close it, reverse charges, or remove the debt. Work with the company, obtain the FTC Identity Theft Report, and dispute the account with each bureau that reports it.
Tax and employment misuse follow different paths
Someone can use an SSN for purposes that do not involve a consumer credit report, including tax filing or employment. A freeze does not address those situations. If the breach notice or your records point to one of these forms of misuse, use the relevant government or employer process in addition to the credit steps described here.
Free monitoring offered after a breach is optional support
The FTC advises consumers to take advantage of free credit monitoring if the company responsible for exposing the information offers it. Monitoring can help you notice changes, but it does not replace freezes, report reviews, or identity-theft disputes. Review the enrollment deadline and the information the service actually monitors before relying on it.
Common problems and practical fixes
You froze only one bureau
Return to the other two official bureau sites and place their freezes. A single-bureau freeze does not protect reports held by the others. Add all three confirmations to your log.
You cannot pass an online identity check
Do not create multiple conflicting submissions. Use the bureau’s listed telephone route or the alternative method it provides, and follow its document instructions. Keep the reference number for every attempt.
A lender says it cannot see your report
Ask which bureau it uses and whether the application was submitted during the freeze. Arrange a temporary lift for that bureau, provide the requested timing, and ask the lender to resubmit if its process requires it. Restore the freeze when the check is complete.
A fraudulent item appears on only one report
Dispute it with the bureau that lists it and check the other two reports for related information. Keep the dispute focused on the exact account, inquiry, or balance and attach the FTC report and identity documents required for a block request.
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Do not assume the freeze failed. It may concern an existing account, a non-credit use of your SSN, or an application made before the freeze. Contact the named company, document the event, and update your IdentityTheft.gov recovery plan if the facts show identity theft.
Quick Recap
A concise action checklist
- Request a free freeze from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion individually.
- Save each confirmation, login detail, and lift instruction.
- Pull all three reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and review them for unfamiliar accounts, inquiries, and personal information.
- Contact every company connected to suspicious activity.
- File at IdentityTheft.gov and preserve the FTC Identity Theft Report and recovery plan.
- Dispute inaccurate items and request blocks with the required identity-theft documentation.
- Use a temporary lift—not permanent removal—when a legitimate application requires access.
- Continue checking reports and watching for tax, employment, or other SSN misuse that a credit freeze cannot cover.
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