What is a fraud alert?

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. There are three types of fraud alerts, and all are free to add to your credit report: - Initial fraud alert: Valid for one year - Active duty fraud alert: For military personnel (including reservists), valid for one year - Extended fraud alert: Requires you to submit proof, online or by mail, that you’re a victim of identity theft, valid for seven years

Will anything different happen if I apply for credit with a fraud alert in place?

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.

Do fraud alerts stop me from buying things with my credit card?

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

What is an extended fraud alert?

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.

If I lost my wallet or it was stolen, is placing a fraud alert a good idea?

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.

Fraud Alert

Q: What is an active duty fraud alert?

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 fraud alert is free and notifies creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before extending credit. You can add a 1-year, 7-year, or Active Duty Military fraud alert. Remove a TransUnion fraud alert any time using our online Service Center with no effect to your credit score.

Add Fraud Alert

Remove Fraud Alert

Technical Help and Login Support

Think you may be a victim of identity theft?

Use our Fraud Victim Resources to learn more about how to respond.

How to Place a Fraud Alert: Explore Your Options

You’re entitled to one free credit report with an initial fraud alert or two free credit reports with an extended fraud alert. If you want a copy of your credit report now without setting a fraud alert, you can get one for free through the TransUnion Service Center. Log in to your existing account or create an account to get started.

TransUnion offers three types of fraud alerts you can place on your credit report. Choose the option below that best fits your needs.

Initial Fraud Alert

A good option if you’re concerned about becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, an initial fraud alert lasts for 1 year. You can request one online through the TransUnion Service Center.

Add Fraud Alert

Extended Fraud Alert

An extended fraud alert lasts seven years. Adding one requires you to submit proof, online or by mail, that you’re a victim of identity theft. It’s a good option if you’ve been a victim of fraud and have an identity theft report.

Request Extended Fraud Alert

Active Duty Military Alert

This is a 1-year alert for eligible military personnel who want to minimize their risk of fraud or Identity theft. You can request one online through the TransUnion Service Center.

Add Active Duty Military Alert

Learn More About Fraud Alerts

When should I use a fraud alert?

When you want lenders to take an extra step and call you to verify credit applications in your name, but not completely block access to your credit report.

How fast is it?

A fraud alert will show up on your credit report the same day you place it.

How does it protect me?

Lenders will call you to verify a credit application made in your name. This can help you spot potential identity theft.

Is it free?

Yes. You can add or remove a fraud alert at any time for free on the TransUnion Service Center. We’ll also notify Experian and Equifax so they can add an alert to the report they have for you.

Fraud Victim Fundamentals

If you think you’re a victim of identity theft, knowing the signs to look for and what to do next can help you take control of the situation and get on the path to recovery.

Identity theft is when your personal information—anything from your name, your driver’s license or Social Security Number—has been hijacked by an imposter in order to commit fraud in your name. With that information, someone can easily open false lines of credit and rack up debt in your name, withdraw money from your accounts or get your tax refund, among other scams

Identity theft can also happen to children, and it can go undetected for years. You can learn more here about how to spot child identity theft and how TransUnion can help.

The first step in figuring out if you’re a victim of identity theft is to look for evidence that it occurred. Review your credit report for signs of suspicious activity and unfamiliar changes, like accounts opened that you don’t recognize or credit checks from companies you’ve never done business with. Monitor your credit card or other account statements for purchases you didn’t make.

Identity theft is a serious crime, but we’re here to help you through it.

Alert your financial institutions and cancel credit cards and checks, if needed.
Report the fraud to the FTC and your local law enforcement.
Protect your credit report with a credit freeze and add a fraud alert.
Get a copy of your credit report and review it for inaccuracies; you can dispute fraudulent activity through our free online dispute process. TransUnion can block fraudulent information from your credit report if you send us an FTC identity theft report or a police report, proof of your identity and a letter that identifies the fraudulent information on your credit report.

We also have more resources to help you through this process:

Our Fraud Victim Checklist can also help you determine who to contact.
Review the Fraud Victim Bill of Rights for more information on your rights as victim of fraud.

Whether you’ve experienced it or not, there are several things you can do to protect yourself from potential identity theft:

Review your credit report for any unusual activity with free weekly credit reports at annualcreditreport.com.
Keep an eye on your financial accounts for suspicious charges.
Treat your personal information with care both online and off: use secure passwords and be aware of phishing phone calls, text messages and emails.

Get started with fraud alerts for free through our TransUnion Service Center, where you can:

Place a fraud alert on your credit report to notify creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before extending credit.
Add, temporarily lift or remove a credit freeze from your credit report. A freeze can help protect you from identity theft by preventing fraudsters from opening a new account in your name.
Submit a dispute if you find any inaccuracies on your credit report.
Get a free copy of your credit report; add an optional consumer statement if you want to provide additional context to your financial situation to anyone who views your credit report.

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Technical Help and Login Support

Prefer to manage a fraud alert by mail or phone?

TransUnion digital self service software

You have questions, we have answers.

Browse our top Fraud Alert FAQs below or visit the Fraud Alert Support Center for more.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The fastest way to place a fraud alert on your credit report is online. Log in or create an account to get started.

You can also do this over the phone by calling us at 800-916-8800. Please note that extended fraud alerts can only be placed online or by mail.

Fraud Alert

Think you may be a victim of identity theft?