Fraud Alert Support Center

You can change the phone number on your fraud alert online through the TransUnion^® Service Center. If you don't have an account, you'll need to create one.

You can also do this over the phone by calling us at 800-916-8800.

An initial fraud alert or active duty fraud alert remain on your credit report for one year. An extended fraud alert remains on your credit report for seven years. We recommend writing that date in your calendar and setting a reminder to renew your fraud alert, should you want to.

An extended fraud alert is a seven-year alert made for victims of identity theft. This seven-year alert urges lenders to verify your identity before extending any credit and grants you two free credit reports from all three credit bureaus during the first year of recovery. Adding an extended fraud alert requires you to submit proof, online or by mail, that you’re a victim of identity theft. We will forward your request to Equifax and Experian requesting them to add an extended fraud alert to the credit report they maintain for you as well. If you want to edit your contact information after adding your extended fraud alert, you will need to contact Equifax and Experian directly. When the extended fraud alert is added to your credit report, we will also remove your name from prescreened offer mailing lists for five years. Find full details on our website.

Military personnel (including reservists) can place an active duty fraud alert on their credit report if they are deployed or called to active duty away from their normal military base. An active duty fraud alert lasts for one year and helps to minimize your risk of fraud or theft while you’re serving our country. It will notify potential creditors that you’re currently deployed – or about to be – so they’ll take extra steps to verify your identity before extending credit in your name. You can place an active duty alert online through the TransUnion Service Center. If you don't have an account, you'll need to create one.

When you add an active duty fraud alert to your TransUnion credit report, we will notify Experian and Equifax so they can place a fraud alert on your credit reports with them. We will also remove your name from prescreened offer mailing lists for 2 years.

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

Yes. The creditor will see the fraud alert when they pull your credit report. The fraud alert will tell them to take extra precautions to verify that it’s really you applying for credit. In order to verify your identity, the vendor may contact you using the phone number you provided when you added your fraud alert. This extra layer of security may make applying for credit with a fraud alert take longer than usual, so it’s important to make sure the phone number you provided is accurate.

No. Fraud alerts don't affect any purchases you make with your credit card.

The choice is yours. You can add either a fraud alert or freeze, or you can have both on your credit report at the same time. Visit our fraud alerts page and credit freeze page to learn more about both.

Yes. With a fraud alert in place, we'll notify any creditor who accesses your credit file  that there is a fraud alert on your credit report. You can also add a credit freeze 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.

It's also a good idea to reach out to any credit card companies for next steps if your credit cards are stolen or lost.

You can take several actions to protect your identity. Regularly review your credit report for any unusual activity. TransUnion is offering free weekly credit reports at annualcreditreport.com. Adding a credit freeze and/or fraud alert is another proactive step in protecting your identity. You can learn more about how to recognize signs of identity theft in our blog post.

No. You can add an initial fraud alert or an active duty fraud alert if you’re military personnel (including reservists) to your credit report, which both last for one year.

You can also add an extended fraud alert to your credit report which requires you to submit proof that you have been a victim of identity theft. This lasts for seven years.

If you’re not getting the resolution you’re hoping for, you can visit our Consumer Support page to contact us for more help.

You also can file a complaint about TransUnion with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or with your State’s Attorney General’s office.   

Absolutely. If you don’t want to add your fraud alert online, you can add one by phone or mail.

Phone: 800-916-8800

Please note that you can only add an initial or active duty fraud alert by phone. Extended fraud alerts must be placed online or by mail.

We can assist you Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Eastern Time and Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Mail:
Send a written request that includes your name, address, Social Security number and a phone number that a creditor can call to verify your identity to the mailing address for fraud alerts at TransUnion, which you can find on the Fraud Alert by Mail or Phone page.

If you want to add an extended fraud alert by mail, you need to include proof that you’ve been a victim of identity theft. Visit our Extended Fraud Alert page  to learn more about what you need to include with your request.

Yes. Both placing and removing a fraud alert is free.

A fraud alert that you place online or by phone will typically show up on your credit report the same day you place it.

If you add a fraud alert by mail, it can take up to three business days from the date the request is received.

No — we’ve got it covered. Once you place a fraud alert with TransUnion, we will notify the other credit bureaus — Equifax and Experian — so they place a fraud alert on your credit reports with them.

Yes. If your family member is unable to place a fraud alert on their own, you can do it for them by calling 800-916-8800.

While you can’t add a fraud alert to 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.

This is a process that must be done by mail. You can learn more and find our mailing address on the Fraud Alert by Mail or Phone page. Visit our Managing Credit for a Loved One page to learn about other ways you can manage or protect a deceased loved one’s credit.

Yes. Companies you already have a relationship with will be able to view your credit report to make changes to your account should they need to.

The fastest way to remove a fraud alert is through the TransUnion Service Center. Log in or create an account to get started.

You can also do this over the phone by calling us at 800-916-8800.

Yes. Although we will notify the other bureaus when you add a fraud alert, we will not notify them if you choose to delete your fraud alert. You will need to contact Equifax and Experian. on your own.

Online: It should only take a matter of minutes if you're removing your fraud alert online through the TransUnion Service Center.

Phone: If you're removing your fraud alert over the phone, it should remove immediately, but we recommend waiting at least 5 minutes before you pull your credit.

Mail: If you're removing your fraud alert by mail, it can take us up to 5 days to process your request from the date we receive your mailed request.