To flag your Social Security number for identity theft, place a free fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus, then add protections directly with the Social Security Administration, the IRS, and E-Verify. Each one closes a different door: credit bureaus stop new loans and accounts, SSA blocks changes to your benefit record, the IRS rejects fraudulent tax returns, and E-Verify prevents someone from using your number to get hired. All of these are free under federal law or agency policy.
Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit File
A fraud alert tells lenders to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name. Under the “one-call” rule, you contact any one of the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion), and that bureau must notify the other two.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts One online submission or phone call covers all three.
You’ll need your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and current address. Two versions of the alert exist:
- An initial fraud alert lasts one year and is available to anyone who suspects they are or may become a victim of fraud. No documentation is required.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
- An extended fraud alert lasts seven years but requires an Identity Theft Report, which you can generate free at IdentityTheft.gov.
The initial alert does not renew automatically. If you want continuous coverage without qualifying for the extended version, set a calendar reminder and place a new one-year alert each year. There’s no limit on renewals.
Place a Credit Freeze
A freeze is stronger than an alert. Rather than asking lenders to verify your identity, it blocks them from pulling your credit report at all, which stops most new accounts before they can be opened. Placing, lifting, and removing a freeze is free under federal law.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
Unlike a fraud alert, you have to contact each bureau separately. This is deliberate: a breach at one bureau doesn’t compromise your freeze at the other two. Requests submitted online or by phone must be placed within one business day. Mail requests must be processed within three business days.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
Each bureau sets you up with an online account, and some also issue a PIN for phone management. Store those credentials somewhere safe. You’ll need them every time you apply for a loan, rent an apartment, or go through a background check, because you’ll have to lift the freeze first.
Lifting or Removing a Freeze
A temporary lift opens your file for a specific window (a week is usually enough) or for a specific lender. A full removal takes the freeze off entirely. Online and phone requests must be honored within one hour; mail requests take up to three business days.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts If you know which bureau your lender pulls from, lift the freeze at just that one.
Freezes vs. Credit Locks
Some bureaus sell a “credit lock” that works similarly in practice but is governed by the bureau’s own terms and may carry a monthly fee. The freeze is the version guaranteed free by federal statute, with the one-hour lift timeline written into the law.2Consumer Advice. Free Credit Freezes and Year-Long Fraud Alerts Are Here If cost and legal protection matter, choose the freeze.
Block Electronic Access at the Social Security Administration
The SSA offers its own protection that works independently of the credit bureaus. Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and request Block Electronic Access. Once it’s on, nobody, including you, can view or change your personal information through SSA’s online portal or automated phone system.3Social Security Administration. How You Can Help Us Protect Your Social Security Number and Prevent Fraud
This stops identity thieves from redirecting your benefit payments, changing your address, or altering your tax withholding through SSA’s electronic systems. The tradeoff is real: you lose your own online and automated access until you unblock it, which requires calling SSA or visiting a local field office in person with identity verification.4Social Security Administration. How Do I Create or Get Help with a Personal My Social Security Account
Even if you haven’t seen signs of fraud, creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov is worth doing as prevention. Once your account exists, no one else can create one using your SSN, which is one of the first moves a thief will try.
Lock Your SSN for Employment Through E-Verify
Stolen SSNs are also used to pass employment authorization checks. The Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system has a Self Lock feature that lets you block your SSN from employment verification. When it’s locked, any employer who runs your number through E-Verify gets a mismatch, flagging the attempt as potentially fraudulent.5E-Verify. Self Lock
You can unlock the number any time a real employer needs to confirm your work authorization. Self Lock requires a myE-Verify account, which also gives you Self Check to verify your own eligibility.6E-Verify. Access Self Check Through Your myE-Verify Account
Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN
Tax-related identity theft happens when someone files a fraudulent return using your SSN to steal your refund. An IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that must appear on any return filed under your SSN. Returns without the correct PIN are rejected. Anyone with an SSN or ITIN can opt in; you don’t have to be a confirmed victim.7Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
Each PIN is valid for one calendar year, and the IRS issues a new one each January. The fastest way to enroll is through your IRS Online Account at irs.gov. If you can’t verify your identity online, you can file Form 15227 by mail or fax, but that route is only open if your adjusted gross income was below $84,000 (individual) or $168,000 (married filing jointly) on your most recent return.8Internal Revenue Service. Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) The IRS will call you to verify identity before issuing the PIN.
Parents and legal guardians can request an IP PIN for a dependent as well. Children’s SSNs are frequently used for fraudulent filings, so it’s worth doing.7Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
Flag a Child’s Social Security Number
Children are attractive targets because the fraud often goes undetected for years. Federal law lets a parent or guardian place a free credit freeze on a minor’s file. If the bureaus don’t already have a file on the child, they must create one so they can freeze it, and that file cannot be used for credit purposes.9Consumer Advice. New Protections Available for Minors Under 16
You’ll contact each bureau separately and provide proof of your authority, such as a birth certificate. The process differs by bureau:
- Equifax requires a mail request.
- Experian offers an online portal for child identity theft protection.
- TransUnion uses an online Child Identity Theft Inquiry form.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Check to See if a Child Has a Credit Report
Before you freeze, ask each bureau to search for any existing file under your child’s name. If one already exists and you didn’t authorize it, report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
Active Duty Alerts for Service Members
If you’re a service member deployed or stationed away from your usual duty station, you can place an active duty alert instead of the standard fraud alert. It lasts at least 12 months and includes an automatic two-year opt-out from prescreened credit and insurance offers.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts A representative, such as a spouse with a power of attorney, can place it on your behalf. The same one-call rule applies: contact one bureau, and it notifies the other two.
File an Identity Theft Report if Fraud Has Already Happened
Several protections, most importantly the seven-year extended fraud alert, require an Identity Theft Report. Generate one free at IdentityTheft.gov. The site walks you through reporting the theft and produces two documents: a formal Identity Theft Report that businesses and bureaus will accept as proof, and a personalized recovery plan with step-by-step instructions.12IdentityTheft.gov. Steps to Recover from Identity Theft Create an account on the site so you can return to your plan later; guests can’t retrieve their documents after leaving.
Keep Monitoring Your Credit Reports
Flags and freezes are defensive. Monitoring is how you catch what slips past them. All three bureaus now offer free weekly credit reports on a permanent basis through AnnualCreditReport.com.13Consumer Advice. Free Credit Reports
Checking matters most if you rely on a fraud alert rather than a freeze, because an alert asks lenders to verify identity but doesn’t legally prevent them from extending credit without doing so. A freeze is the harder barrier, but reviewing your reports still catches errors and any unauthorized accounts opened before the freeze went into effect.