Freeze Support Center

Identity theft is a serious crime where your personal information — anything from your name, driver’s license or Social Security Number — has been hijacked by an imposter to commit fraud in your name. You’re the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your identity. Check your credit reports and financial accounts regularly for any suspicious activity. You can get your credit report here for free weekly through 2022 from all three credit reporting agencies. Set up transaction alerts if your bank offers them to notify you of all account activity. Finally, consider adding a fraud alert or credit freeze. For more information, check out our Identity Theft Resources.

A data breach occurs when someone’s personal information is stolen or exposed without their permission. If you are a victim of a data breach, consider the following steps:

• Alert your credit card companies immediately and all financial institutions; the bank can freeze your accounts and help prevent them from being drained.
• Cancel your credit cards right away if the bank doesn’t do so automatically.
• Monitor financial and online accounts for suspicious activity. Your email or social media accounts, for example, may have also been compromised.
• Change your passwords across the board.
• Add a credit freeze or fraud alert to your credit report. 

Additionally, keep an eye on your credit reports to ensure that your credit is not being affected by fraudulent activity.

The choice is yours. If you are concerned about data breaches or just want to be proactive in protecting yourself, a credit freeze could be the right option.

A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, can be added to your TransUnion credit file to prevent all third parties, such as credit lenders or other companies, whose use is not exempt under law, from accessing your credit file without your consent.

Remember, if you have a freeze you must remove or temporarily lift it to apply for credit. You can add, temporarily lift, and remove freezes online through the TransUnion Service Center. It’s free to add, temporarily lift, and remove a freeze.

A fraud alert is a statement that is added to your credit file that will notify potential credit grantors that you may be or have been a victim of identity theft. Before they extend credit, they should use reasonable procedures to verify your identity. Fraud alerts are free to add and are valid for one year.

These powerful tools can help you steer clear of identity theft or prevent history from repeating itself if you’ve already fallen victim. They offer added protection, making it more difficult for anyone, including fraudsters, to apply for credit using your info.

Think of a freeze or fraud alert like a fortress for your personal data. They strengthen your defense but aren’t impenetrable, so it’s still important to regularly monitor your credit.

A credit freeze or fraud alert will not affect your credit score.

A fraud alert notifies lenders to verify your identity before extending new credit, but it does not block access to your credit report. A credit freeze blocks access to your credit report if anyone tries to open a new account. For more information about the differences between fraud alerts and credit freezes, check out our blog.

Adding a freeze online or by phone typically takes effect almost immediately. Temporarily lifting a credit freeze can also be immediate; however, it’s advisable to wait a few minutes before a lender requests your TransUnion credit report.

If you request to add, lift or remove a freeze by mail, it may take up to three business days from the date TransUnion receives the request to go into effect.

A credit freeze and a credit lock prevent lenders from checking your credit in order to open a new account. They're both great ways to control who can access your credit. Credit freezes are always free and provided by credit reporting agencies. Credit lock can come as a feature of credit monitoring services. 

Not while your credit report is frozen. You will need to remove your freeze to apply for new credit, which you can do online through the TransUnion Service Center.

No. A credit freeze doesn’t affect your credit card. You credit report won’t be accessible, but that won’t affect your credit card. They are two different things.

Our Summary of Rights page details your rights as a consumer under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

The quickest and easiest way to freeze your credit file is online through the TransUnion Service Center.

You can also add a freeze to your credit report by phone or mail. Call TransUnion at 800-916-8800. or send a written request that includes your name, address and Social Security number to:

TransUnion
P.O. Box 160
Woodlyn, PA 19094

Your request should include one proof of Social Security number and two proofs of your current address. All documents should reflect your current name and be unexpired. Please only submit photocopies of your documents. These can include:

Identity (Provide 1):

• Social Security card
• Letter from Social Security Administration
• Military ID
• Medicaid or Medicare card

Address (Provide 2):

• Driver's license with current address
• Utility bill
• Bank or credit union statement
• Canceled check
• Pay stub
• Signed homeless shelter letter
• Prison ID letter
• Stamped post office box receipt
• Government-issued ID
• State ID card

Yes. Any company you already have an account with will still be able to access your credit report regarding the existing account, but they will not be able to use your credit report to open a new account in your name.

It may sound like a credit freeze would impact your credit cards, but it has absolutely no effect on credit cards you already own. A freeze prevents your credit report from being accessed when you or anyone else tries to open new accounts. You can still use the credit cards you have.

Note: If you’re looking to temporarily prevent charges on your credit cards, consult with your credit card issuer.

Yes. You can freeze your TransUnion credit report with us, but to freeze your other credit reports you must contact the other bureaus, Equifax and Experian. We included their contact info below to make it easy for you.

Equifax:

Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA, 30348-5788

888-298-0045

https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze

Experian:

Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013

888-397-3742

https://www.experian.com/freeze

Yes, but only in certain situations that are allowed by federal law. These situations include:

• Companies that have a current – or in some cases, prior – financial relationship with you. This can include when those companies review your account for maintenance, monitoring, increasing credit lines or account upgrades and enhancements or collecting the financial obligation owed
• Any federal, state or local agency, law enforcement agency, trial court or private collection agency acting pursuant to a court order, warrant or subpoena or other permissible purposes
• Any federal or state agency acting to investigate fraud or acting to investigate or collect delinquent taxes or unpaid court orders
• A child support agency 
• Any person using credit information for the prescreen purpose described under section 604(c) of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act
• Companies that provide you with a copy of your credit report or credit score upon your request
• Companies that administer a credit monitoring subscription or similar service to which you have subscribed
• Underwriting insurance
• Employment, tenant or background screening 
• Any person using the information for assessing, verifying or authenticating a consumer’s identity for purposes other than the granting of credit, or for investigating or preventing actual or potential fraud

Note: You have the right to limit “prescreened” offers of credit or insurance you get based on information in your credit report. If you want to remove your name and address from prescreen mailing lists obtained from the major credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Equifax, Experian and Innovis – click here. Adding a credit freeze to your credit report does not stop firm offers of credit.

Permissible purpose is a reason specified in the law that allows someone to check your credit report. A credit freeze stops a creditor from accessing your credit report to open a new account, even though they have permissible purpose. But if the permissible purpose is to review your credit report to make changes to an account you already have, a freeze won’t stop that.

No, you no longer need a 6-digit PIN to change your freeze. If you want to change your freeze over the phone, call us at 800-916-8800 and we'll verify your identity by asking for your name, date of birth, address and Social Security number. We may also ask additional questions to verify your identity.

If you want to change your freeze by mail, send a written request to:

TransUnion
P.O. Box 160
Woodlyn, PA 19094

Your request should include one proof of Social Security number and two proofs of your current address. All documents should reflect your current name and be unexpired. Please only submit photocopies of your documents. These can include:

Identity (Provide 1):

• Social Security card
• Letter from Social Security Administration
• Military ID
• Medicaid or Medicare card

Address (Provide 2):

• Driver's license with current address
• Utility bill
• Bank or credit union statement
• Canceled check
• Pay stub
• Signed homeless shelter letter
• Prison ID letter
• Stamped post office box receipt
• Government-issued ID
• State ID card

If you want to replace your credit lock with a credit freeze on your TransUnion credit report, you can do so for free through the TransUnion Service Center. Create an account or log in to get started. After you log in, go to the Credit Freeze page. From there, you’ll have the option to replace your lock with a freeze. 

If you want to add, temporarily lift or remove a credit freeze in the future, you can do so for free in the TransUnion Service Center. You can also add a freeze to your credit report for free by phone or mail. Call TransUnion at 800-916-8800 or send a written request that includes your name, address and Social Security number to:  

TransUnion 
P.O. Box 160 
Woodlyn, PA 19094 

You can learn more about what else you need to send in with your mailed request in this FAQ. 

Please note: TransUnion credit lock will be discontinued within certain TransUnion websites in the first half of 2025. Sites that will no longer offer TransUnion credit lock include: TransUnion Credit Monitoring (includes Web, iOS App and Android App), TrueIdentity and zendough. You can still use the TransUnion credit lock feature in these products until it is discontinued. 

Log in to your TransUnion Service Center account and select "Temporarily Lift Freeze." Then enter the dates you want the lift to happen. It's free to temporarily lift a freeze.

To make things easy, you can plan and schedule your freeze removal up to 15 days in advance of when you want it to happen. If you want to unfreeze more than 15 days from today, please log in closer to the date you want your credit report unfrozen.

You can also call us to temporarily lift a freeze over the phone.

If you placed a freeze online, the quickest and easiest way to remove the freeze from your credit file is online through the TransUnion Service Center. You can also remove a freeze by phone or mail. It’s free to remove a freeze from your credit file.

Call TransUnion at 800-916-8800 or send a written request that includes your name, address and Social Security number to:

TransUnion

P.O. Box 160

Woodlyn, PA 19094

If you need to apply for credit but have a freeze in place, you can remove it or temporarily lift it before starting the application. Visit the TransUnion Service Center to remove or temporarily lift your freeze online. You can also remove a freeze by phone or mail. It’s free to remove a freeze from your credit file.

Call TransUnion at 800-916-8800 or send a written request that includes your name, address and Social Security number to:

TransUnion

P.O. Box 160

Woodlyn, PA 19094

You’re in control of how long a freeze stays on your credit report. Your report will be frozen until you request its removal.

If you want to remove a credit lock from your TransUnion credit report, you have options. If you have a credit monitoring, identity protection or breach product that includes TransUnion credit lock, you can log into your product to remove the lock. Or, you can do so in the TransUnion Service Center. First, create an account or log in. After you log in, go to the Credit Freeze page. From there, you’ll have the option to replace your lock with a freeze. Replace your lock with a freeze. Then, from the same page, you can remove your freeze as well, which will make your credit report available to third parties such as lenders or other companies. 

If you want to add, temporarily lift or remove a credit freeze in the future, you can do so for free in the TransUnion Service Center. You can also add a freeze to your credit report for free by phone or mail. Call TransUnion at 800-916-8800 or send a written request that includes your name, address and Social Security number to:  

TransUnion 
P.O. Box 160 
Woodlyn, PA 19094 

You can learn more about what else you need to send in with your mailed request in this FAQ. 

Please note: TransUnion credit lock will be discontinued within certain TransUnion websites in the first half of 2025. Sites that will no longer offer TransUnion credit lock include: TransUnion Credit Monitoring (includes Web, iOS App and Android App), TrueIdentity and zendough. You can still use the TransUnion credit lock feature in these products until it is discontinued. 

If you are a parent or guardian of a minor and would like to freeze their credit report, you can do this by adding a protected consumer freeze to their credit file. Here's what you'll need to provide:

1. A written request to place a “protected consumer freeze” on the named individual’s file
2. AND a copy of one piece of documentation that provides ‘sufficient proof of authority’ that you have authority to act on behalf of the minor or dependent such as:
   
   • An order issued by a court of law
   • A lawfully executed and valid power of attorney
   • A document issued by a Federal, State, or local government agency in the United States showing proof of parentage, including a birth certificate
   • With respect to a protected consumer who has been placed in a foster care setting, a written communication from a county welfare department or its agent or designee, or a county probation department or its agent or designee, certifying that the protected consumer is in a foster care setting under its jurisdiction.
3. AND information or copies of documentation confirming your identity AND the identity of the minor/dependent. Information or documentation needs to provide ‘sufficient proof of identification’ that you and the minor/dependent are who you really are, such as a:
   
   • Social Security number or a copy of a Social Security card
   • Certified or official copy of a birth certificate issued by the entity authorized to issue the birth certificate
   • Copy of a driver’s license, an identification card issued by the motor vehicle administration, or any other government issued identification

Please only send copies of documents, not original documents.

Send everything here:

TransUnion
P.O. Box 380
Woodlyn, PA 19094

Please note: Consumers are not able to place a protected consumer freeze via phone or online at this time due to the documentation requirements. We accept either standard or certified mail.

Typically, minors do not have credit files. An application for credit, a credit account, or a public record starts the compilation of a consumer credit file. Adding the minor as an authorized user to someone’s existing line of credit can also create a file. Usually all that is needed is a Social Security number.

Warning signs that might indicate your child’s identity has been stolen can include, but are not limited to:

• Your child begins to receive suspicious mail, like pre-approved credit cards and other financial offers normally sent to adults, in his or her own name.
• You try to open a financial account for him or her but find one already exists, or the application is denied because of a poor credit history.
• A credit file already exists in his or her name. If the child has one, he or she may have been targeted already, since only an application for credit, a credit account, or a public record starts the compilation of a consumer credit file.

TransUnion would be happy to check our records for a credit file under the child’s information. If you are interested in checking, please complete our secure online form.

Please note that sending a request to TransUnion to check for a credit file will NOT create a credit file.

Typically, a minor has no established credit or credit history and therefore a credit file will not exist. TransUnion only maintains credit reports for individuals that have an existing credit history. However, we recommend contacting the other consumer reporting agencies as information can vary.

We would recommend that you do. Information varies between Consumer Reporting Agencies.

If a file is located, we can add a protected consumer freeze on the minor’s credit report. Protected consumer freezes can only be made by mail as they require proof of identity and proof of authority to make the request. You can learn more about what you'll need to submit in a written request here.

You should also consider visiting https://identitytheft.gov/ to report the fraud and review other recommended steps.

TransUnion can assist you by checking our records for a credit file under the child’s name. Please complete the secure online form using the following link: Child Identity Theft Inquiry Form

You should also contact the other credit reporting agencies to check their records for a credit file. Also consider filing an FTC Identity Theft Report at https://identitytheft.gov, and contacting the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration offices.

Internal Revenue Service

Identity Protection Specialized Unit

800-908-4490

https://www.irs.gov

Social Security Administration

800-772-1213

https://www.ssa.gov

Please mail TransUnion a copy of the child’s birth certificate and Social Security card (if available), along with your dispute listing the inaccurate items. You can find our mailing address here. Once we receive the dispute, we will conduct an investigation. You may also want to contact the companies listed directly and inform them that the Social Security number associated with the accounts belongs to a minor.

In addition, you may want to file an FTC Identity Theft Report with https://identitytheft.gov. You should provide each company that you contact with a copy of the report to inform them of identity theft.

Your child may be on a promotional mailing list. Companies purchase mailing lists from many sources. If you or your child have subscribed to any services in the child’s name (for example, magazines or airline frequent flyer accounts) that are not specifically designed for children, their name may have been shared as part of a mailing list.

TransUnion currently does not offer fraud alert protection for minors. However, we can offer to place a protected consumer freeze on your minor’s file. Click here for more information on adding a freeze to your minor child’s credit report.

Yes, the protected consumer freeze is applicable to minors 15 or younger in all 50 U.S. States and Puerto Rico. Click here for more information on adding a freeze to your minor child’s credit report.

Yes, you can. Click here for more information on adding a freeze for a minor.

A Protected Consumer Freeze will remain on the minor or incapacitated adult’s file until the guardian submits a written request for its removal by mail.

When a minor turns 16, they can request the removal themselves by mailing in a written request and a copy of a proof of identity document.

The FTC has helpful information on their website: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0040-child-identity-theft

If you are concerned about your personal information and want to take steps to protect yourself, you can freeze your credit report. You can find more information here.

You should also consider visiting https://identitytheft.gov to report any fraud and review other recommended steps. If you're working towards recovery from fraud, you can also use TransUnion's Fraud Companion Guide.

In you are over the age of 16, but not yet 18, you will need to mail in your freeze request. Please send us a letter requesting a freeze and include the following information:

• Your name
• Current address (If you have lived here less than 2 years, provide your previous address also)
• Your TransUnion file number (if applicable)
• Social Security number
• Date of birth

Our mailing address:

TransUnion

P.O. Box 160

Woodlyn, PA 19094

A Protected Consumer Freeze prevents any entity from obtaining a minor’s under the age of 16 or incapacitated adult’s credit report. A parent, guardian or person with a valid power of attorney can add one for a minor or incapacitated adult by mailing TransUnion a request with documents proving you have the authority to act on their behalf.

To remove a Protected Consumer Freeze, you’ll need to submit the following:

1. A written request to remove the freeze on the named individual's file

2. AND a copy of one piece of documentation that provides ‘sufficient proof of authority’ that you have authority to act on behalf of the minor or dependent such as:        

• An order issued by a court of law
• A lawfully executed and valid power of attorney
• A document issued by a Federal, State or local government agency in the United States showing proof of parentage, including a birth certificate
• With respect to a protected consumer who has been placed in a foster care setting, a written communication from a county welfare department or its agent or designee, or a county probation department or its agent or designee, certifying that the protected consumer is in a foster care setting under its jurisdiction   

3. AND information or copies of documentation confirming your identity AND the identity of the minor/dependent. Information or documentation needs to provide ‘sufficient proof of identification’ that you and the minor/dependent are who you really are, such as a:

• Social Security number or a copy of a Social Security card
• Certified or original copy of a birth certificate issued by the entity authorized to issue the birth certificate
• Copy of a driver’s license, an identification card issued by the motor vehicle administration or any other government issued identification

If you are the protected consumer and are 16 years old or older, you can mail in a request to remove a Protected Consumer Freeze yourself with the following:

1. A written request to remove the freeze on the named individual's file

2. AND information or a copy of documentation that provides ‘sufficient proof of identification’ that you are who you really are, such as a:

• Social Security number or a copy of a Social Security card
• Certified or original copy of a birth certificate issued by the entity authorized to issue the birth certificate
• Copy of a driver’s license, an identification card issued by the motor vehicle administration or any other government issued identification

Please only send copies of documents, not original documents.

Mail the request and supporting documents to:

TransUnion
P.O. Box 380
Woodlyn, PA 19094

If you have valid power of attorney for an incapacitated adult and want to add a freeze to their credit report, here's what you'll need to provide.

1. A written request to place a Protected Consumer Freeze on the named individual’s file

2. AND a copy of one piece of documentation that provides ‘sufficient proof of authority’ that you have authority to act on behalf of the person such as

• An order issued by a court of law
• A lawfully executed and valid power of attorney
• A document issued by a Federal, State, or local government agency in the United States showing proof of parentage, including a birth certificate

3. AND information or copies of documentation confirming your identity AND the identity of the incapacitated adult. Information or documentation needs to provide ‘sufficient proof of identification’ that you and the incapacitated adult are who you really are, such as a:

• Social Security number or a copy of a Social Security card
• Certified or official copy of a birth certificate issued by the entity authorized to issue the birth certificate
• Copy of a driver’s license, an identification card issued by the motor vehicle administration, or any other government issued identification

Please only send copies of documents, not original documents.

Send everything here:

TransUnion
P.O. Box 380
Woodlyn, PA 19094

Please note: Consumers are not able to place a Protected Consumer Freeze via phone or online at this time due to the documentation requirements. We accept either standard or certified mail.

Yes. Spouses can request freezes for each other by phone at 888-909-8872, as long as they pass authentication. You can also request a freeze for someone if you have a valid Power of Attorney by calling 888-909-8872.

If you are a parent/guardian/representative you can freeze for a minor 15 and younger.

We’re sorry you have to go through this tough time. While you can’t freeze the credit report of a deceased family member, you can update your family member’s credit report to show as deceased. This will notify any creditor who attempts to pull the report that the consumer is deceased. Follow the steps below and we will help you update your loved one’s credit report and give you peace of mind:

Step One:

Check with the Social Security Administration to ensure that they have updated their files and notified the credit reporting companies.

Step Two:

Forward a copy of the death certificate to one of the three credit reporting companies; the receiving bureau will notify the other two companies. This will allow the credit reporting agencies to add a notation to the credit report that the consumer is deceased. Along with the death certificate, please include the person’s legal name, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death. If the notification is coming from the deceased's spouse, the letter should also include their name and mailing address plus a copy of their identification. If the request is from an executor for the deceased, or someone other than a spouse, we need a copy of identification for the requestor, plus a copy of the will/executor agreement or Power of Attorney documentation.

You can mail your information to TransUnion at:

TransUnion

P.O. Box 2000

Chester, PA 19016

Step Three:

Contact all creditors that the deceased person(s) did business with and request that they mark their files accordingly. Be sure to forward a copy of the death certificate to them, once you receive it.