How Do I Place a Fraud Alert on My Credit
To place a fraud alert, contact any one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies online, by phone, or by mail and provide proof of your identity. That company must notify the other two. An initial fraud alert lasts one year; an extended fraud alert, requiring an identity theft report, lasts seven years.
A fraud alert is a flag that a consumer can ask a nationwide credit reporting company to add to their credit reports. It tells businesses that access those reports to take reasonable steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending credit. A fraud alert is not a security freeze and does not block access to credit reports. To place one, contact any one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Federal law requires the company that receives the request to notify the other two. Requests can be made online, by phone, or by mail. The company will typically ask for identifying information such as name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, and proof of identity, which may include a government-issued identification and a utility bill or bank statement.
An initial fraud alert is available to consumers who suspect they have been or may become a victim of identity theft, including after a lost or stolen wallet. It lasts one year. Consumers may renew it after it expires. When an initial fraud alert is placed, the nationwide credit reporting companies must take reasonable steps to verify identity before releasing a credit report to a business. The alert also gives consumers the right to request a free copy of their credit report from each nationwide credit reporting company. The Federal Trade Commission explains that a fraud alert can be placed with one company, which then must tell the other two, so consumers do not need to contact all three separately to start the process.
An extended fraud alert lasts seven years and requires stronger documentation. To place an extended fraud alert, a consumer must provide an identity theft report. That report can be an Identity Theft Report filed with the Federal Trade Commission through IdentityTheft.gov, or a police report, depending on the circumstances and the credit reporting company's requirements. The consumer must also provide proof of identity. Once placed, an extended fraud alert tells businesses to take reasonable steps to verify identity before extending credit. It also generally entitles the consumer to two free credit reports from each nationwide credit reporting company within a twelve-month period. The exact documentation a company requests can vary, and the company receiving the request provides instructions.
Active duty alerts are for active-duty members of the military who are deployed or expect to be deployed. They last one year and can be renewed. Like other fraud alerts, an active duty alert can be requested from one nationwide credit reporting company, which must notify the other two. A fraud alert is different from a security freeze. A security freeze, also called a credit freeze, restricts access to a credit report more completely and must be placed separately with each nationwide credit reporting company. Fraud alerts and security freezes are both free. The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provide step-by-step information about requesting fraud alerts and freezes and about creating an identity theft report.