§ THE PLUG · 3 MIN READ
Freeze Your Credit in Fifteen Minutes
A credit freeze is the single most effective thing you can do against identity theft, it is free by law, and it takes three short phone calls or web forms. Here is the whole process, step by step.
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THE SHORT VERSION
A credit freeze blocks lenders from seeing your credit report, so nobody can open a new account in your name. It is free at all three bureaus under federal law, it takes about fifteen minutes total, and it does not affect your credit score or your existing cards.
What you will learn: how to lock your credit file at all three bureaus so nobody can open a card, a loan, or a phone plan in your name, how to unlock it when you need to, and what a freeze does not do.
The holidays are coming, which means the scammers are too. A credit freeze is the lock on the door. It costs nothing, it takes about fifteen minutes total, and it is the one piece of advice every identity theft expert agrees on.
What a Freeze Does
When your file is frozen, a lender who gets an application in your name cannot see your credit report. No report, no approval. So a thief with your Social Security number can fill out all the forms they want. Nothing opens.
It does not touch your existing accounts. Your cards still work. Your score does not change, because a freeze is not a mark on your file, it is a gate in front of it. If the word file is doing unfamiliar work here, Credit, Explained Like a Friend Would is the four minute version.
The Steps
You have three credit files, one at each bureau, and you freeze each one separately. Have your Social Security number, date of birth, and address ready. Do them in one sitting so you do not forget the third.
When You Need Credit
Applying for an apartment, a car loan, a phone, a credit card? Lift the freeze first. Log in to the bureau, choose temporarily lift, and pick a date range, a day or a week. Ask the lender which bureau they pull from and lift only that one. When the window closes, the freeze comes back on its own. This matters most right when you are getting your rent reported and going to see a lender: freeze, build, lift for the application, freeze again.
“Fifteen minutes now, or fifteen months cleaning up somebody else's shopping spree.”
What a Freeze Does Not Do
It does not stop someone from using a card you already have. Watch your statements. It does not stop tax refund fraud or someone using your insurance. And a credit lock that a bureau tries to sell you is not the same thing. A lock is a product that can carry a fee. A freeze is your legal right, free, forever. Take the free one.
If It Already Happened
Report it at identitytheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's site. It builds you a recovery plan and generates the letters. Then freeze all three files so it stops getting worse while you clean up. If a debt collector starts calling about an account that was never yours, a free legal clinic will read the paperwork with you.
- Is freezing your credit free?
- Yes. Federal law has required Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to freeze and unfreeze your file at no charge since 2018. A credit lock is a different product that can carry a fee, so ask for the freeze.
- Does a credit freeze hurt your credit score?
- No. A credit freeze is a gate in front of your file, not a mark on it. Your score does not change and your existing cards and loans keep working exactly as before.
- What are the phone numbers to freeze credit at all three bureaus?
- Equifax is 888-298-0045, Experian is 888-397-3742, and TransUnion is 800-916-8800. You can also freeze online at equifax.com, experian.com/freeze and transunion.com/credit-freeze.
- How do I unfreeze my credit to apply for something?
- Log in to the bureau, choose to temporarily lift the freeze, and set a date range such as one day or one week. Ask the lender which bureau they pull from and lift only that one. The freeze returns automatically when the window closes.
- Should I freeze my child's credit?
- Yes, if you can. A child's Social Security number is clean and nobody checks it for eighteen years, which makes it the most valuable kind to steal. Each bureau has a separate form for freezing a minor's file.
- What does a credit freeze not protect against?
- A credit freeze does not stop someone from using a card you already have, and it does not stop tax refund fraud or someone using your insurance. Keep watching your statements.
- What should I do if my identity was already stolen?
- Report identity theft at identitytheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's site, which builds a recovery plan and creates the letters. Then freeze all three credit files so it stops getting worse while you clean up.
