Frequently asked questions

Yes, accept it—but don't stop there. Free credit monitoring is a nice supplement, but it only alerts you after fraud occurs. Your primary defense should be credit freezes, which prevent fraud from happening in the first place.

Think of monitoring as a smoke alarm and freezes as a fire-resistant house. You want both, but the house is more important.

You're well protected against new account fraud, which is the most common type. But freezes don't protect against:

• Tax fraud (get an IRS IP PIN)
• Bank account fraud (freeze ChexSystems)
• Existing account takeover (use 2FA and unique passwords)
• Medical identity theft

See our additional protections guide for complete coverage.

You can temporarily lift (thaw) your freeze at any time. Options:

• Lift at all three bureaus for a few days
• Ask the lender which bureau they use and lift just that one
• Use a one-time access PIN (some bureaus offer this)

Lifting is instant online. Just remember to re-freeze afterward.

No. A credit freeze has zero effect on your credit score. It only prevents new credit inquiries—it doesn't change anything about your existing accounts or payment history.

Fraud alert: Asks creditors to verify your identity before opening new accounts. It's a request, not a requirement—creditors may ignore it.

Credit freeze: Completely blocks access to your credit report. No one can open accounts in your name until you lift it.

Freezes are more protective. Use them as your primary defense, with fraud alerts as a backup during active identity theft recovery.

Child identity theft is surprisingly common—criminals target children because no one checks their credit. A child's stolen SSN can go undetected for years.

To protect your children:

• Check if they have a credit file (they shouldn't have one)
• Freeze their credit at all three bureaus
• You'll need to prove you're the guardian

Each bureau has a process for minor freezes. It's more paperwork than freezing your own credit, but worth doing.

Unfortunately, deceased individuals are targets for identity theft. To protect a deceased relative:

• Send a copy of the death certificate to all three credit bureaus
• Request their credit reports to check for fraud
• Notify the Social Security Administration
• Consider a deceased alert (similar to a fraud alert)

See our helping family guide for detailed instructions. Key points:

• They need to verify their own identity—you can't do it for them
• If they have cognitive decline, you may need Power of Attorney
• Focus on freezes, IRS PIN, and SSA account first
• Set up ongoing scam awareness

This guide focuses on US credit bureaus and protections. If you're in another country, look for:

• Your country's equivalent credit bureaus
• National identity protection resources
• Data protection authority (like the ICO in the UK)

If you're a US person living abroad, the US bureaus still apply to you.