25 Sep How is a fraud alert different from a credit freeze?

Q. How does a fraud alert work and how is it different from a credit freeze?
— Protecting myself

A. If you place a fraud alert on your credit report, any lender who receives an application for credit in your name would need to contact you to confirm you’re really the one who has applied for the credit.

It’s an extra step above a credit freeze, or freezing your credit reports, which stops any lender from getting a copy of your credit report. Without seeing your report, no lender will open an account in your name.

We think a credit freeze, in most cases, is probably enough protection, but a fraud alert can’t hurt.

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This story was originally published in September 2024.

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