Credit Freeze vs. Fraud Alert: How Each Works, What It Costs (Nothing) and How Fast the Bureaus Must Act
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How we wrote this: A summary of the FTC's consumer advice on credit freezes, fraud alerts and free credit reports, the CFPB's answer on security freezes and USAGov's credit freeze page, all linked below and checked October 29, 2026. We name the three credit bureaus because the agencies do; we don't link to or recommend any paid product.
Data breaches keep exposing names, birthdates and Social Security numbers, and that's enough for a thief to try opening credit in your name. The two free tools the federal agencies point to are the credit freeze (also called a security freeze) and the fraud alert. They work differently, and you can use both at once.
Credit freeze: the stronger lock
From the FTC and CFPB:
- What it does: while a freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you. Creditors simply can't see your file.
- Who can do it: anyone, at any time, for any reason. You don't need to wait for a breach.
- Cost: free to place and free to lift.
- Your score: a freeze doesn't affect your credit scores.
- How long: until you lift it.
- How: contact each of the three nationwide credit bureaus separately: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. A freeze at one doesn't carry over to the others.
While your file is frozen, the CFPB says a few parties can still see it, including creditors on accounts you already have, certain government agencies (such as child support agencies) and any company you've hired to monitor your credit. You can still pull your own reports.
One limit to know: the CFPB notes the federal free-freeze law doesn't apply to someone who requests your report for employment, tenant-screening or insurance purposes.
How fast the bureaus must act
| Request | Online or by phone | By mail |
|---|---|---|
| Place a freeze | Within 1 business day | Within 3 business days of receiving it |
| Lift a freeze (permanently or temporarily) | Within 1 hour | Within 3 business days |
After placing a freeze, a bureau must send written confirmation within 5 business days, along with how to remove it. You can also lift a freeze temporarily for a period you choose, at no charge.
The FTC's tip for applying for a loan, card, apartment or job: ask which bureau the lender will check, lift the freeze at just that one, and put it back when the check is done.
"Credit locks" cost money and aren't better
The CFPB says the bureaus also sell credit locks, often bundled with other paid services, and that credit locks are no more effective than security freezes, which are free and a legal right.
Fraud alerts: a softer warning
A fraud alert doesn't block access to your report. It tells businesses to verify your identity, usually by contacting you, before opening new credit. Unlike a freeze, you only have to contact one bureau; it must tell the other two.
| Type | Who can place it | How long it lasts | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | Anyone who is, or suspects they may be, affected by identity theft | 1 year, renewable | A free copy of your report from each bureau |
| Extended | Identity theft victims with an FTC report from IdentityTheft.gov or a police report | 7 years | Off marketing lists for unsolicited credit and insurance offers for 5 years, unless you ask otherwise |
| Active duty | Active-duty servicemembers | 1 year, renewable for the length of deployment | Off those lists for 2 years |
The FTC also notes that active-duty servicemembers and National Guard members can get free electronic credit monitoring from each bureau.
Freezing a child's credit
The FTC recommends a free freeze for any child under 16. Federal law treats children under 16 (and incapacitated adults or people with a guardian) as "protected consumers." If a bureau has no file on the child, the CFPB says it must create one just to freeze it. The process differs from an adult freeze, and each bureau posts its own instructions.
Check your reports, too
A freeze doesn't stop misuse of accounts you already have, so the FTC suggests checking your credit reports regularly. All three bureaus let you check each report once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only site authorized to fill orders for the free reports the law guarantees (or call 1-877-322-8228). Accounts you don't recognize can be a sign of identity theft. Report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
A practical order of operations
- Freeze at all three bureaus. Save the confirmations and any PINs or logins somewhere safe, like a password manager.
- If you're already a victim, add a fraud alert as well and file at IdentityTheft.gov.
- Freeze your children's files.
- Put a reminder on your calendar to pull a free report every few months.
- For your federal tax return, the IRS has its own tool: the IRS Identity Protection PIN.