Fraud alert.
In plain English
A fraud alert is a notice you add to your credit file that warns any lender pulling your credit to take extra steps to confirm you are really you before approving a new account. It is free, and you only have to contact one of the three credit bureaus; that bureau must tell the other two. An initial fraud alert lasts one year and can be renewed, and it is meant for anyone worried they may be at risk. If you have actually been a victim of identity theft and file an identity theft report, you can get an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years. A fraud alert does not lock your credit shut; it just adds a verification speed bump, so you can still apply for credit yourself.
01Why it matters
If your wallet is stolen or your data leaks in a breach, a free fraud alert can stop a thief from opening accounts in your name, which spares you months of cleanup and disputed debt.
02The math, step by step
Your debit card and ID get stolen. You call one bureau and place a one-year fraud alert; that bureau notifies the other two automatically, so all three flag your file. The next week someone tries to open a store credit card in your name. Because of the alert, the lender is prompted to verify the applicant's identity, calls the phone number on file, and the fraudulent application is stopped.
03What this is NOT
A credit freeze fully blocks new lenders from seeing your report at all, so no new account can be opened until you lift it, and you must thaw it to apply yourself. A fraud alert is lighter: it only asks lenders to verify your identity and does not block access. A fraud alert is not a freeze.
04Receipts
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