Guides ยท Finance
Fraud Alert Basics
Place and manage fraud alerts
This guide covers placing initial or extended fraud alerts with credit bureaus, what alerts do, how to monitor accounts, and when to freeze credit instead.
- fraud alert
- credit bureaus
- identity theft
- credit freeze
- finance
Choose alert type
Decide between initial (1-year) and extended (7-year) alerts based on risk.
Place the alert
Contact one major bureau; they notify the others in many regions.
Monitor accounts
Check statements and enable bank/credit alerts for unusual activity.
Consider a freeze
Use a credit freeze for stronger protection if you do not need new credit soon.