Freeze Your Credit in 15 Minutes

The single best free defense against identity theft — direct links and numbers for all three bureaus, and which tool to use when. Verified August 2026.

Freeze your credit at all three bureaus — it's free, by federal law

A security freeze blocks new-account fraud cold: nobody (including you) can open credit in your name until you lift it. Since 2018, freezes and unfreezes are free for everyone, at all three bureaus, forever. Online takes about 5 minutes each:

Bureau	Online	Phone
Equifax	equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services	888-298-0045
Experian	experian.com/freeze	888-397-3742
TransUnion	transunion.com/credit-freeze	800-916-8800

Save the PIN/password each bureau gives you — you'll need it to thaw the freeze when you apply for credit.

Freeze vs. fraud alert vs. lock — which one?

	What it does	Cost
Security freeze	Blocks new credit checks entirely until you lift it. The strongest tool.	Free (federal law)
Fraud alert (1 year)	Tells lenders to verify identity first. Set at ONE bureau — it must notify the other two.	Free
Extended alert (7 years)	For confirmed ID theft victims with an FTC report. Stronger verification duties.	Free
"Credit lock" apps	The bureaus' app version of a freeze — sometimes bundled with paid subscriptions. The legal freeze does the same job free.	Free–paid

Two more free locks worth setting

IRS IP PIN — a 6-digit PIN that stops anyone filing a tax return in your name. Free at irs.gov/ippin.
Bank account alerts — turn on transaction alerts at your bank; most fraud is caught by the customer, not the bank.
Already a victim? Federal law (FCRA §605B) forces bureaus to block fraudulent accounts within 4 business days of receiving your FTC identity theft report — start at identitytheft.gov.