Credit Report Identity Theft: What to Look For and Do

Identity theft shows up on your credit report. Learn how to spot it, and how fraud alerts and security freezes work.

What identity theft looks like on a credit report

Your credit report is a summary of your personal credit history, the FTC says. It includes identifying information like your address and date of birth. When someone steals your identity, the damage lands here.

The FTC says identity theft can damage your credit with unpaid bills and past due accounts. A thief opens a card in your name, spends, and never pays.

The FTC also says mistakes on your credit report might be a sign of identity theft. A loan you do not recognize. An address where you never lived. The FTC says mistakes like these might be a sign of identity theft.

How to check your credit report for identity theft

The FTC says to visit AnnualCreditReport.com to order your free annual credit reports. This is the only authorized place to get the free annual credit reports you are entitled to by law.

The FTC warns that other sites pretend to be linked to AnnualCreditReport.com. Some also claim to offer free reports, scores, or monitoring. Stick to the real one. The FTC also says AnnualCreditReport.com and the credit bureaus will not email you. They will not ask for your Social Security number or account information. An email that does that is a scam.

You can always get a free weekly credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com, the FTC says. That is useful after identity theft, when you want to watch for new damage.

There are three nationwide credit bureaus that collect and update credit report information. They are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The FTC says each one may get its information from different sources, so one report might not match the others. Check all three. A thief's account can show on one report and not the others.

For a wider look at the warning signs, see how check for identity theft.

What a fraud alert does and how to get one

If you think you may have been a victim of identity theft, you can also file a fraud alert, the CFPB says. A fraud alert tells creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before extending credit. TransUnion says this. The FTC says fraud alerts make lenders verify your identity before they grant new credit in your name.

Equifax says you can contact any of the three nationwide credit bureaus to request a fraud alert. Once you place an alert with one bureau, that bureau will send your request to the other two. So one contact covers all three reports.

A fraud alert does not lock your file. The FTC says that unlike a credit freeze, a fraud alert does not prevent businesses from seeing your credit report. It just tells them to check with you first.

For more detail, see our page on the fraud alert.

The three types of fraud alerts

Experian says there are three types of fraud alerts, and you have the right to request any one that applies to you.

Initial fraud alert. This is for when you suspect you have been or may become a victim of identity theft, Experian says. It lasts up to one year unless you remove it sooner, the CFPB says. Equifax says an initial fraud alert lasts for one year and can be renewed.

Extended fraud alert. This can be placed if you are a victim of fraud or identity theft, Equifax says. TransUnion says an extended fraud alert lasts seven years and requires proof that you are a victim of identity theft.

Active duty alert. This is for an active duty service member who wants to protect their credit file, Experian says. It is similar to an initial fraud alert and also lasts a year, Equifax says.

All three are free. Experian says placing a fraud alert is completely free with no credit card required. Experian also says adding a fraud alert does not hurt your credit history or credit scores in any way.

An extended alert brings an extra benefit. Experian says an extended alert entitles you to two free file disclosures. This covers a 12-month period after the alert is placed. These extra disclosures may help you spot signs of fraud, like accounts opened in your name.

If you want the steps for one bureau, see our page on the Experian fraud alert.

What a security freeze does

A security freeze can help stop an identity thief from opening a new credit account in your name. The CFPB says this. Experian says a security freeze stops a consumer reporting agency from releasing your credit report information without your permission.

A freeze also stops you or others from opening accounts in your name, the CFPB says. That is the trade.

Freezes are free. The CFPB says you can freeze and unfreeze your credit records for free. You can do this at the three nationwide credit reporting companies. TransUnion says freezing, unfreezing and temporarily lifting a freeze is free. It will not affect your credit score. The CFPB agrees that security freezes do not impact your credit scores in any way.

Unlike a fraud alert, a freeze is not shared. The CFPB says you must contact each nationwide credit reporting company separately by visiting their websites. Three freezes, three requests.

A freeze stays put until you ask for it back. TransUnion says a credit report stays frozen until you request its removal.

Fraud alert vs. security freeze: which one to use

A fraud alert is lighter. Lenders can still see your report, but they must verify you first. Equifax says one request to one bureau places it at all three. It costs nothing and expires on its own.

A freeze is heavier. Experian says a freeze stops a bureau from releasing your report without your permission. The CFPB says it also stops you or others from opening accounts in your name. It lasts until you lift it, and you must set it up at each bureau yourself.

The FTC says credit freezes and fraud alerts can also help stop someone who already stole your identity from misusing it again. And the FTC says that even if you already have a credit freeze in place, you can also place a fraud alert. You do not have to pick one.

For a broader look at your options, see identity fraud protection.

Removing or changing an alert or freeze

Alerts end on their own. Experian says each fraud alert deactivates itself on a preset expiration date. You can renew initial, active duty and extended fraud alerts up to three months before they expire. Experian says this.

You can also remove an alert early. Experian says you must contact each credit bureau individually to do it. The bureaus notify one another when an alert is activated. But they do not when one is removed. TransUnion says you can remove a fraud alert any time using its online Service Center with no effect to your credit score.

Freezes lift when you need credit. The CFPB says you can lift a freeze temporarily for a period of time you choose, free of charge. A freeze can be removed free of charge no later than three business days after a request by mail, the CFPB says. The credit reporting company must also tell you how to remove the security freeze. TransUnion says you can remove a freeze online, by phone or by mail.

Where to go next

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires nationwide credit bureaus to allow you to dispute any mistakes. The FTC says this.

Identity theft victims get extra free reports. The FTC says you can get another free report if your report is inaccurate because of fraud. This includes identity theft. You can also get another free report if you have a fraud alert on your credit file.

Experian says you can ask a consumer reporting agency to block identity theft information from your file. Experian says the agency has to tell you if it refuses the block or later removes it. Experian says you can keep a business from reporting data about you. This is data you think traces back to identity theft. To do that, Experian says you must send your request to the address the business gives and provide an identity theft report.

Check your reports, and put an alert or freeze in place.