7 Things To Know About Fraud Alerts
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Choose the alert that's right for you: initial, extended, or active duty military.
Depending on the alert type, if someone tries to get credit in your name, the creditor or lender may contact you.
If you are contacted by a creditor or lender, confirm whether or not you made the request to get credit.
Use this when:
You believe you are, or may become the victim of fraud. An initial fraud alert is free and lasts for one year.
Use this when:
You've been a victim of ID theft, and you've completed an FTC Identity Theft Report or police report. An extended fraud alert is free, lasts for seven years, and removes you from credit card and insurance offers for five years.
Use this when:
You’re on active military duty. An active duty alert is free, lasts for one year, and removes you from credit card and insurance offers for two years.
You must be 18 to create a myEquifax™ account.
Visit Customer Care to learn how to submit requests by phone or mail.
Please note: In order to place a fraud alert, you will need to have an active Equifax credit report on file.
A fraud alert is a notice on your credit report that alerts creditors you are or may be a victim of fraud, including identity theft. A fraud alert can make it harder for someone to open unauthorized accounts in your name. It encourages or requires lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity, such as contacting you by phone, before opening a new credit account in your name or making changes to existing accounts.
There are two types of fraud alerts you can place on your credit report, and both are free.
You can contact any of the three nationwide credit bureaus to request a fraud alert. Once you have placed a fraud alert on your credit report with one of the bureaus, that bureau will send a request to the other two bureaus to do the same, so you do not have to contact all three.
To place an initial one-year fraud alert, create or sign in to a myEquifax account, or call our automated line at 888-836-6351. You can also place an initial fraud alert by mail by downloading and following the instructions on the Alert Request form.
To place an extended seven-year fraud alert, download and follow the instructions on the Extended Fraud Alert Request form. You’ll need to include additional documentation showing you’re a victim of identity theft.
Visit our FAQs to learn more about Security Freezes & Fraud Alerts.
An active duty alert is available for service members on active military duty who want to help minimize their risk of fraud or identity theft while deployed. An active duty alert is similar to initial fraud alerts; they can make it harder for someone to open unauthorized accounts in your name. It encourages lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity, such as contacting you by phone, before taking certain actions, such as opening a new credit account in your name or increasing your credit limit.
An active duty alert is free and lasts for one year, and your name is removed from pre-screened credit card and insurance offers for two years. You can contact any of the three nationwide credit bureaus to request an active duty alert. Once you have placed an active duty alert on your credit report with one of the bureaus, that bureau will send a request to the other two bureaus to do the same, so you do not have to contact all three.
To place an active duty alert, create or sign in to a myEquifax account, or call our automated line at 888-836-6351. You can also place an active duty alert by mail by downloading and following the instructions on the Alert Request form.
A fraud alert, a credit report lock, and a security freeze are all steps you can take to help better protect your personal information, but they aren’t the same thing.
A fraud alert is a notice that is placed on your credit report that alerts credit card companies and others who may extend you credit that you may have been a victim of fraud, including identity theft. Think of it as a “red flag” that encourages companies to take steps to verify your identity before extending credit in your name.
You may contact any of the three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to request a fraud alert. Once you place an alert with one of the bureaus, that bureau will send your request to the other two bureaus.
Fraud alerts are free, and there are two types:
If you are on active military duty and want to help minimize your risk of fraud or identity theft while you are deployed, an active duty alert is available to you. The active duty alert is similar to an initial fraud alert: it also lasts a year, and companies must take reasonable steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name or modifying existing ones.
A credit report lock and a security freeze both generally prevent access to your Equifax credit report to open new credit accounts. Unless you temporarily lift or permanently remove a freeze, or unlock your credit report, it can’t be accessed to open new accounts (subject to certain exceptions). Because these functions have the same impact, you cannot add both a freeze and a lock to your Equifax credit report. See more about exceptions below.
Placing a security freeze on your Equifax credit report will prevent access to it by certain third parties. Freezing your Equifax credit report will not prevent access to your credit report at any other credit reporting agency.
Exceptions: Locking or freezing your Equifax credit report will prevent access to it by certain third parties. Locking or freezing your Equifax credit report will not prevent access to your credit report at any other credit bureau. Entities that may still have access to your Equifax credit report include:
Equifax maintains consumers’ credit reports and provides information to certain customers, including credit card companies and lenders, so that they may offer pre-approved offers to consumers as permitted by law. Consumers that prefer not to receive such offers should visit www.optoutprescreen.com, or call toll free at 1-888-5-OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688). Consumers may also send an opt-out request in writing to Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374-0123. Consumers should include their complete name, full address, Social Security number, and signature. Equifax will remove the consumer’s name from its pre-approved offer database and share the request with the other two nationwide consumer reporting agencies.