Identity Protection

Credit Freeze

Prevent identity thieves from opening accounts in your name. It’s free, reversible, and takes about 15 minutes.

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Freeze Your Credit at All 7 Bureaus

A credit freeze locks your credit file so no one can open new accounts in your name — including you, until you unfreeze it. It's free by law and is one of the most powerful identity protection steps available.

Check Your Credit Report First

Freeze your credit at all 7 bureaus

You must contact each bureau separately. It takes about 2–3 minutes per bureau. Do all of them — identity thieves will find the one you missed.

Bureau Freeze Online Phone
Equifax equifax.com 1-800-685-1111
Experian experian.com 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion transunion.com 1-888-909-8872
Innovis innovis.com 1-800-540-2505
NCTUE nctue.com 1-866-343-2821
SageStream / LexisNexis lexisnexis.com 1-888-395-0277
ChexSystems chexsystems.com 1-800-428-9623
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Save your PINs

Each bureau will give you a PIN or password to unfreeze your credit later. Save these in your password manager or write them down and store them safely.

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Remember to unfreeze before applying for credit

A credit freeze prevents anyone — including you — from opening new credit. When you apply for a loan, mortgage, or credit card, temporarily unfreeze your credit at the relevant bureau first, then refreeze it afterward.

What is a credit freeze?

A credit freeze (also called a security freeze) locks your credit file at the major credit bureaus. When your credit is frozen, lenders cannot access your credit report to approve new accounts — which means identity thieves cannot open credit cards, loans, or other accounts in your name, even if they have your Social Security number.

A credit freeze does not affect your credit score. It does not prevent you from using existing credit cards or accounts. It only prevents new accounts from being opened.

Why you need to freeze all 7 bureaus

Most people know about the three major bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — but there are four additional specialty bureaus that lenders use for specific purposes. Innovis is used by some lenders as an alternative to the big three. NCTUE (National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange) is used by phone and utility companies. SageStream/LexisNexis is used by some financial institutions. ChexSystems is used by banks when you open a new checking or savings account.

Identity thieves will find the bureau you didn’t freeze. Freezing all seven takes about 15 minutes total and provides comprehensive protection.

The Equifax breach: why this matters

In 2017, Equifax — one of the three major credit bureaus — suffered a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million Americans, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers. This is essentially the information needed to open credit accounts in someone’s name.

If you were an adult American in 2017, there is a reasonable chance your data was exposed. A credit freeze is the most direct protection against that data being misused.

Further Reading