Protecting your credit does not begin with buying a monitoring service. It begins with three free steps: review your reports, freeze them while you are not applying for credit, and know how to respond to a warning sign. These steps matter after a data breach, but you do not need to wait for a problem.
Your credit report contains accounts, inquiries, payment history and identifying information. Your credit score is a number calculated from information in a report. Reviewing the report helps you find errors and unfamiliar accounts; you do not need to buy a score to do that.
1. Request your reports through the authorized site
The federally authorized portal for free reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also call 877-322-8228. Avoid links in unexpected messages; type the address directly into your browser.
Save each report securely or review them one at a time. The reports may differ because not every creditor sends information to all three bureaus.
2. Review these five areas
- Personal information: names, name variations, addresses and employers. An unfamiliar address may be an error or a reason to investigate.
- Accounts: confirm every card, loan, mortgage and collection account belongs to you.
- Balances and payment status: compare balances, limits and late payments with your records.
- Inquiries: look for credit applications you do not remember authorizing.
- Negative information: verify that it belongs to your file and that the dates are correct.
Keep a separate list for each bureau. Record the creditor, partial account number, date and reason for the dispute. Do not post or send your full Social Security or account number through unsecured email.
3. If you are not applying for credit, consider freezing all three reports
A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name because it restricts potential creditors' access to your report. The Federal Trade Commission says placing and lifting a freeze is free, does not affect your score and lasts until you remove it.
You must place it separately with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Store your credentials and confirmations securely. When you need to apply for credit, rent a home or complete another transaction that requires a report check, you can lift the freeze temporarily and restore it afterward.
It does not block charges to existing accounts, fix errors or stop every kind of identity theft. Keep reviewing account statements, bank alerts and credit reports.
4. Credit freeze or fraud alert?
They are not the same. A freeze restricts access to the report and must be placed with all three bureaus. A fraud alert allows businesses to view the report but tells them to verify your identity before issuing new credit.
- Initial fraud alert: free, lasts one year and can be renewed. Contact one bureau; it must notify the other two.
- Extended fraud alert: for identity-theft victims with an IdentityTheft.gov report or police report. It is free and lasts seven years.
- Active-duty alert: available to active-duty servicemembers. It lasts one year and can be renewed during deployment.
You may use a freeze and fraud alert together. If you believe your information was exposed but have not seen a fraudulent account, a freeze provides the stronger barrier against new accounts.
5. If you find an unfamiliar account or inquiry
- Do not use the phone number or link in a suspicious message. Find the institution's official contact information on its website, app or statement.
- Contact the business where the fraud occurred and ask it to close or block the account.
- Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC site creates a recovery plan and identity theft report.
- Dispute inaccurate information with the credit bureau and the company that supplied it. Send copies, not originals, and keep proof.
- Change compromised passwords, turn on two-factor authentication and check bank and phone accounts.
6. Build a simple routine
Set a monthly date to review bank statements and alerts. Review credit reports several times a year and before a major application such as a mortgage or rental. Keep the reports frozen whenever you do not need a business to access them.
If credit, employment, insurance or housing is denied because of a report, the adverse-action notice should identify the bureau used. Request that report and review the specific information involved.
Avoid these traps
- Paying someone who promises to remove accurate negative information.
- Confusing a paid in-app “lock” with the free federal credit freeze.
- Giving a PIN, password or verification code to someone who called you.
- Believing a freeze hurts your score; the FTC says it does not.
- Checking only one bureau and assuming the other two contain the same information.
Official sources and links
Reviewed October 12, 2026. Procedures can change; confirm instructions on the official site before submitting personal information.